AN: I do not own anything in the wizarding world. All mistakes are mine. And next, I'll beg for a review! Like a, "hi - just stopping by to read." Enjoy.

Chapter 7: Seeking

After what James came to call 'The Idiotic Ditching of Hogsmeade,' Lily was indifferent and sometimes icy as ever with him. At least, that's how James saw it. He thought about apologizing but wasn't sure it warranted one, and then when he decided that he probably should, too much time had passed. He wasn't sure how to act around her anymore, was self-conscious as ever, and Lily didn't seem to be making any effort. He had thought they had a good friendship growing, but now he wasn't so sure. Remus said he was being paranoid – that Lily was not mad at James in the least bit. Peter thought he had seen her give him a glare at breakfast. Taylor wasn't speaking a word about it. And Sirius had told James to just shut up already.

Two weekends following that trip into town brought with it the next quidditch match – Gryffindor vs Slytherin.

Friday evening James was walking with Remus to the kitchens for a late dinner. The moon had been full the previous night and Remus had had a rough one that had taken his appetite. He hadn't eaten all day. James had kept an eye on him, and after he saw him stand up from his bed and stumble after some momentary dizziness, James had given him a lecture his mother would be proud of.

"Stop hovering," Remus grumbled as they continued down a corridor.

James rolled his eyes behind Remus's back and backed off a step.

"Mr. Potter!" A voice rang down the hallway, causing both boys to stop and turn around. It was their Head of House, and she looked strained.

James walked a few steps back down the hall, "Professor, don't worry we'll be in bed before curfew. Big match tomorrow. We just missed dinner." He gestured toward Remus who gave a weak smile.

"Mr. Lupin, you feeling alright?"

"Fine, Professor." He didn't quite meet her eyes.

His response was unconvincing to say the least, and their professor locked eyes with James. She knew Remus's friends took care of him, and when James gave her a reassuring nod, she dropped the subject.

"The match, Potter. I need to talk to you about the match… York had an accident in potions today. He took a face full of Everlasting Heating Essence, and has severe burns."

James blinked at her, "Madam Pomphrey will fix him up though. He'll play tomorrow."

She shook her head, "He won't. You're acting captain in his absence. He can't currently speak, but he was able to write. And he wants you to act as seeker. And use Dean Hallaway as chaser."

James blinked at her dumbly again. Whatever he had expected her to say, it was not that.

She swallowed and looked away before meeting James's eyes, "We need this win, Potter. You can do this." And she walked away.

A few moments passed and Remus eyed James, who was still looking at the spot where McGonagall had stood moments before.

"Seeker." James whispered. "Holy shit," his voice got louder, "I can't play seeker!"

Remus was clearly not in the mood for James's problems. He gave him an annoyed look and continued towards the kitchens. After a moment, James caught up to him and he responded. "You play with that stupid snitch all the time."

"But I'm a chaser!"

"And now you're a seeker. You can catch it, Prongs. You know you can." Remus was tickling the pear on the portrait as he spoke.

"Holy shit." James said again, his eyes still wide.

"Pull it together, Captain. Sirius will never forgive you if you lose to Regulus."

They were forty minutes into the game and the score was Gryffindor- forty, Slytherin- eighty. The red and gold chasers were doing their best to stay with the Slytherin's, but Dean was an alternate and therefor only practiced with the team twice a month, not to mention James was their top scorer and was currently acting as seeker.

"And Matt Hampton of Gryffindor is in possession of the quaffle after another Slytherin goal." The commentator's voice rang across the stands, slightly downcast as Emily Eckle was also a Gryffindor. "Still no sign of the snitch from Potter or Black."

James started as he flew slightly above the game, scanning the grounds for the elusive golden ball. He was used to hearing those names together, but this was a different Black. Shorter, and slightly more wiry than Sirius, Regulus Black was a fair seeker with a keen eye. And Sirius loathed him. James not only had to win this match for the sake of the team, but for his own sanity.

He had stayed up half the night, scanning the seeker chapter in his worn copy of Quidditch Through the Ages. He wanted to know every trick of all the greatest seekers, he wanted to know the best vantage point for seeking, he wanted to know the mechanics of the bloody ball itself. He wanted every line of the chapter memorized before bed, but Peter wrestled the book away from him around 2am and Sirius snatched his wand and Knoxed it before James could get in much protest.

So, gathering from what he had both read and watched his entire life, his strategy was to stay above the game – away from bludgers and rogue beaters alike – and scan the ground while also keeping a close eye on Regulus. Because James knew to win this game, he either had to get really lucky or out fly the younger Black. Regulus may be a better seeker, but James was the best flyer in this school, and if Black spotted the snitch he had to be on his tail.

"And there's another goal for Slytherin! Bringing the score ninety to forty."

"Damn it." James hissed under his breath. He spotted Joey as she flew underneath him and yelled, "Joey, you gotta' pick it up!"

He knew she heard him, but he didn't get a response. And so James clenched his hands around his broom and did another lap around the field, easily dodging one bludger and one green robed chaser who tried to clip him.

Gryffindor answered their acting captain's call with two goals in a row, one from Joey and one from Dean. Slytherin was just getting possession of the quaffle again when James saw movement from Regulus. He had changed direction much quicker than leisurely flying, and James matched him in less than a second. The young Black quickly stopped just as fast as he had started, realizing just before James did that the glint of gold had been a fan's wristwatch.

Regulus noticed James had moved quickly to pursue him and shot him a glare, to which James simply responded with a smirk.

Another half hour passed, and James was beginning to get desperate from his nerves. That damn ball had to be out here, and with the grace of Merlin, he had to see it first. Gryffindor had to win this match to continue their shot at the Cup. Dean was beginning to mold better with his teammates, but the lions was still trailing by four goals.

"And Gryffindor seems to really be missing Potter as their lead chaser." Emily stated as Dean lost the ball when two Slytherin chasers flew his way. "Slytherin in possession yet again. Nickles passes to Perry. Who passes to Kent. Back to Nickles. He shots – and a BEAUTIFUL save by Gryffindor keeper!"

"Maple now has possession of the quaffle and –" Emily had quickly cut off her commentary as her focus moved to the skinny Slytherin seeker who had shot across the field. "LOOKS LIKE BLACK HAS CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE SNITCH!"

James, who had just turned his head in the opposite direction, heard and in a second quickly located Regulus and headed his way. He scanned the air ahead of the green robed seeker and saw the snitch ahead of him and – thank Merlin – moving away from them both. That would give James the time he needed to catch up. He was the better flier, and he knew he could gain on him as long as he had the time.

"And Potter is not far behind and GAINING! He may not have the experience as a seeker, but he sure knows how to fly!"

James came up Regulus's left side, reaching the tail end of his broom. He was just about to come up on his shoulder when he knew he was out of time. All he needed was two more seconds and he could overtake him, but the snitch was just a forearm's length away. He saw Regulus's right arm come off his broomstick, and James pressed desperately harder, knowing he would never beat him.

Then, out of nowhere a bludger came thundering through the sky from his left! James made the smallest adjustment to his broom and ducked his head, feeling the ball skim his hair. Regulus, blindsided, was not so smooth, and in more of a panic he had jerked his broom up, the bludger nicking his shoulder. But that was all the hesitation James had needed. James had stayed on course with the snitch, while Regulus had lost the second he had had over the opposing seeker. James became almost parallel with his broomstick as he pressed forward, just edging out Regulus, he extended his arm and his hand closed around the golden ball, the wings tickling his palm.

The scarlet figure pulled his broom to an abrupt stop, almost unseating himself and held his fist in the air. He heard a whistle blow, and had a vague notion that Emily was screaming into the microphone, but his ears were buzzing with the blood pounding through his body. He had caught the snitch! They had won! And he never wanted to play seeker again.

He turned his broom, curious to see the Slytherin beater who had not realized that Regulus had had him beat, and had just lost his team the match. But instead he was met with robes of scarlet and gold, and the grinning face of Bobby, his own beater. James let out a laugh of disbelief before he was engulfed in hugs from his fellow chasers. And the crowd went wild as beneath the mob of red robes James still held his fist in the air with his other hand over his face as he continued to laugh in both disbelief and relief. They had won!

When the team had descended to the ground, James finally caught up with Bobby.

"That was bloody BRILLIANT!" He exclaimed, slapping him on the back, "How did you know I would have the time to dodge that bludger?"

Bobby grinned at him without hesitation, "I didn't. Regulus had you beat. I figured our options were we lose, you take a bludger to the head and we lose, or you dodge that bludger and we win!"

James was speechless a moment, before Bobby finished with, "I knew you would have wanted me to take the chance, captain." And James matched his grin before they both roared with laughter.