A/N So...It's been a while. Like, a LONG while? What can I say, real life got in the way plus a rather large case of writer's block conspired to make a rather large delay. In other news, this fic is over a year old :O, which is crazy, but the end is drawing near...Thanks to anyone still reading this for sticking with it, and a like I said, the story is only a few chapters from the end! So be prepared...

"I think I'm going to be sick." Mouse announced, as he dismembered the sausages on his plate. Becky looked up from her own breakfast sympathetically.

"You still have to eat something, Mouse – else you'll get so weak from hunger you'll faint and fall off your broom!" She grinned, finding the whole, thing in Mouse's experience, far too funny.

"Easy for you to say – you're not the one that's going to be out there, flying against the Ravenclaws – Alex Davies says their captains had them practicing strategy for weeks! Why Ellie Wood's Grandmother had to die now of all times - "

"Mouse!" Rose said indignantly. "That's an awful thing to say – I know you're nervous, but still..."

"I'm also not a Seeker! At least not as good as Al – and why you had to go and open an envelope full of Butober pus in the first place – your dad's the Head of the Auror Office – didn't he teach you anything?" Albus swallowed a huge mouthful of toast as Becky and Rose looked on in disgust, and gestured crudely at Mouse, although the effect was somewhat lessened by the thick bandage currently wrapping around his fingers.

"Sod off Malfoy – It's not my fault my dad's actually good at his job – and you think that I wouldn't give anything to be flying today? I hate that prat Kinton." Albus finished darkly, and Mouse immediately felt guilty. Rose was right, he was bricking it, and taking it out on easy targets. It wasn't Albus' fault that Connor Kinton, a sixth-year Ravenclaw who's father had just been arrested after being caught at the head of a particularly nasty Muggle-trafficking ring, had decided to take out his anger on the nearest, easy target who had anything to do with the case – the Head of the Auror Office's younger son. As it was, Albus could barely hold his wand, let alone hold a broom for who knew how long and catch a Snitch. So instead, as the only other reserve good enough to Seek, Mouse was up.

"You're right. Sorry." Mouse conceded, and went back to mutilating his breakfast, missing the small smile that Becky and Rose shared. "I guess I'm just nervous..."

"Nervous? Did I hear your dulcet tones correctly, young Malfoy?" A voice came from behind him and Mouse groaned – the other problem with being on a Quidditch team...

"What do you want, James?" Albus asked his older brother. "Just came to see how our replacement seeker is holding up. And to tell him that if Isaac waits any longer, he'll probably spontaneously combust – if we don't win by at least 160 points today, we're out of the running for the cup. So if Mr Malfoy is ready..." Mouse rolled his eyes as he made one last attempt at finishing his breakfast, draining his goblet of pumpkin juice as he stood up, he grimaced at his friends to follow James to the Entrance of the Great Hall where the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was waiting.

As they made their way out of the Great Hall, he felt a surge of guilt as he always did when he walked past Chloe, who since their return and her run in with the Siren had been overly antagonistic to everyone, but especially Mouse and his friends. But what could they do? It wasn't as if they could run off to a teacher, and say: ' s'cuse me sir but we think Chloe been possessed by the ghost of a crazy witch, but we have no proof except for some old book we weren't supposed to have been reading in the first place'. Because that would go down so well, especially now that Mouse was refusing to speak to either Nat or Minna, much to their confusion.

Shaking off his depressing and hopeless thoughts, he ran to catch up with the rest of the team, and listened intently to Isaac's perfectionist attempts at strategising in an attempt to get in the zone, and at least for the game, put thoughts of the Siren behind him.

If he hadn't been trying so hard to ignore Chloe and the moral dilemma she was creating, he might have seen Minna apprehend Chloe, and an argument that almost immediately broke out between the two. Or the shadow that passed over them.

"So gang, we all know what to do right?" said Isaac, staring intently at each of the players on the team in turn. "Feliks, make sure you don't lose focus – the Ravenclaws know you can get distracted and we nearly lost against Slytherin in November, thanks to that. Alyssa, James, just fly you have in practice - though without the fouls please, and we should be good. Joneses remember, this is Mouse's first game, so make sure he doesn't knobbled by a bludger before he can catch the Snitch," there was a ripple of of laughter from the team, "and Mouse, you might not be a Seeker first and foremost, but you're pretty nifty on a broom. Just remember, try not to-"

"Over-think it I know." Mouse interrupted, good-humouredly and Isaac rolled his eyes before continuing.

"If you know, then don't! The good news is, Ravenclaw will have been training with Ellie in mind, and the two of you have different techniques, which could work in our favour – their team isn't brilliant at last minute tactics." Isaac summed up, before giving his team one last glance and standing up. "Alright everyone, Fly clean, and remember we need to win by 160 for a chance at the cup. Lets go!"

Mouse gulped as he realised his Quidditch debut was suddenly here. Stepping out onto the field, his nerves abated a little as he sought out Albus Becky and Rose in the stands, grinning and waving madly. He smiled back weakly, before the commentator calling his name brought him back to the game.

"...And standing in for Seeker Ellie Woods, we have reserve, Scorpius Malfoy. A surprising substitution considering my spies tell me that Malfoy prefers playing Chaser, but who knows? He's certainly got a Seekers build." commented Alfie Boot

Mouse zoned out the rest of the commentary as Madame Hooch gestured the two captains forward. The relatively stocky Isaac was towered over by Jake Fawley, the tall Ravenclaw Keeper looking as if he had been stretched. "Nice clean game both of you, both teams to fly on my whistle, ready?" Both captains nodded their assent. The sound of the whistle reverberated in Mouse's ears as he kicked off, silently thanking Ellie for loaning him her broom – the Ravenclaw Seeker was on a Firebolt 5 which hopelessly outclassed pretty much all of the school brooms put together. Now he just had to get his head in the game. The aforementioned Ravenclaw seeker, a fourth year by the name of Nell Hunter, had immediately headed up for high ground, well sky, but Mouse preferred to be in the thick of things. Half the time either the other players or the crowd did your job for you. Of course there were some disadvantages...

"And Malfoy is nearly unseated by a Bludger!" Alfie Boot called amid some shocked gasps from the crowd as Mouse shook his head, gripping his broom so hard his knuckles went white.

Right. Head in the game, don't over-think it. Dodge the other Bludger...What the hell? Mouse thought to himself as the two enchanted balls had come at him, one after another. Still, after that, the Jones siblings made sure he was left un-bothered, and the game panned out with its usual, spills, thrills and threats of injury.

There was one moment where Mouse was half convinced that Gryffindor was about to storm the pitch after Madame Hooch nearly sent James off for practically pushing Ravenclaw chaser Olivia Edgecombe off her broom, and there was a particularly moment when Feliks nearly got brained by Ansel Higgs' Beaters bat. Not to mention the false Snitch sighting when Nell Hunter thought that Owain Jones' watch was the Snitch, much to the amusement of the crowd. But the game stayed close, with Gryffindor finally edging into the lead by 10 when...

There! Mouse thought to himself triumphantly as he caught a real glimpse of Snitch by Sophie Vance, another Ravenclaw Chaser's leg. Edging subtly forward, he tried not to draw anyone's attention...Too late.

"And Malfoy is making a move! Has he seen the Snitch folks?" Alfie asked and Mouse rolled his eyes.

"C'mon!" he shouted indignantly, but Nell was already making a move – but so was the Snitch! It darted away descending rapidly, and thanks to it's new direction, it meant that Nell was closer. Muttering to himself and the broom, Mouse pushed forward into a steep dive, egging himself on, to screams from the Gryffindor stands.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon..." he murmured, willing himself forward, edging equal with Nell. But it was no good, she was that much taller, her reeach was longer she was going to get there first!

This is not happening! Mouse thought defiantly, and making a split second judgement, he flung himself off the broom and forward, to gasps of disbelief from the stands. Luckily, the Snitch's descent meant he'd only fallen 10 feet or so – still a nasty height, but survivable. Still, the spectators waited with bated breath, let out in a collective sigh of relief as Mouse sat up and opened his hand, revealing the still, weakly fluttering golden ball in his palm.

The Red and Gold stands shook as Gryffindor house rose collectively to celebrate their victory, as Madame Hooch, Madame Pomfrey and Professor Longbottom descended onto the pitch to help Mouse.

Slightly light-headed from the pain, he still couldn't help grinning as he realised that he'd caught the Snitch!

"Really Mr Malfoy, What were you thinking?" Madame Pomfrey demanded as they bustled him off the pitch into the changing rooms. "You're lucky not to have any serious injury, otherwise, well."

"I'd have a serious injury?" Mouse asked, cheekily, although he could know feel a throbbing in his knee where he'd landed on it, now the euphoria and adrenalin was wearing off. Madame Pomfrey frowned at him.

"You can't be hurt too badly if you're making jokes...still, where does it hurt?" she asked bruskely, although there was a slight glimmer of a smile on her face.

"My knee," Mouse responded, before a sudden burst of noise and colour charged through the door – the rest of the Quidditch team, accompanied by Albus Becky and Rose.

"Are you alright? That fall looked awful!" Rose asked, her face betraying her worry.

"That was awesome! You looked so cool!" Albus shouted, grinning hugely.

"Well done, Malfoy! Although when I said not to over-think it, I didn't exactly mean like that!" Isaac smirked. The only problem was, there were all speaking at once, making it impossible to hear distinct words over the clamour.

"ENOUGH!" Professor Longbottom, finally shouted and the small room fell into silence. "Yes, Well done Mouse, nice job, but I think if you can walk, we had best get formalities over and done with, then back up to the castle to sort everything out. Oh, and make sure this time the party doesn't get too out of hand people, Professor Hendricks claimed she could hear you in her quarters last time."

Becky slipped over to Mouse through the throng, and offered him her arm to lean, to avoid putting weight on his shot knee, and he grinned his thanks. He was however, glad to get the shaking of hands over and done with; his leg was really beginning to hurt, and the sooner it was fixed the better.

When he came to shake hands with Nell Hunter, she gave him a huge grin.

"Not bad for a firstie, Malfoy" she smiled. "Makes me embarrassed to have been beaten by a Chaser too – although I have to say, I wasn't expecting you to go kamikaze on me!"

Mouse laughed, although not quite sure what a kamikaze was, and making a mental note to ask Minna, before remembering he wasn't speaking to his cousin or his fiancée. But, as if thinking about her had summoned her...

"Hey, Mouse, isn't that Miss Min?" Becky asked, and Mouse nodded puzzled. He knew that Minna and Nat had been at the game, he'd caught glimpses of them in the teachers' stands, but something seemed off. For one, she wasn't with Nat now, in fact he was nowhere to be seen, and two, her whole posture seemed oddly contorted.

"Yeah it is...Can we go over there, Becks?" asked Mouse, and she nodded, similarly puzzled. As they drew over to where Minna was standing, her whole face lit up in an almost overenthusiastic smile- even for Minna, she seemed oddly energetic.

"Mouse! Just the person I want to see!" she grinned. "Nice flying, child!"

Child?

"You mean, kid, right?" Mouse asked, a little unnerved now.

"That is what I said, isn't it?"

"Um, yeah, sure..."

What the hell is going on?

"I was wondering if I could talk to you actually, about Nathaniel? Alone?"

Ok, something is seriously wrong here, Minna never calls Nat Nathaniel...

"Anything you can say to me you can say in front of Becky, right Becks?" he asked, trying to communicate with his eyes that something was desperately wrong here. Becky seemed to have caught on, as she was beginning to have the look of a rabbit caught in the headlights, utterly at a loss at how to act or respond.

"Yeah, you know me, Miss Min, I can keep a secret," Becky joked feebly. Minna's smile vanished abruptly, leaving an eerie threatening glare in its place.

"This is a family matter, Miss Fletcher. Now why don't you run along and find your other little friends? I can take Mouse to the Hospital Wing afterwards hmm?" she suggested in a saccharine voice, her left hand drifting down to the pocket where Mouse knew she kept her wand.

"Ok...Mouse, I'll find you later. D'you want me to tell Professor Carter where you've gone, Miss Min?" Becky stammered, wanting nothing more than to run away and hide, but hating the idea of leaving her friend alone with an apparently psychotic Minna.

"Oh no, it's alright dear. Nathaniel has been...taken care of." Minna smiled coldly. "Now, come along Mouse," she said grabbing the boy by his arm, and vanishing so quickly Becky would have thought magic was involved, despite the anti-Apparition wards at Hogwarts.

She stood there stunned for a moment, before running to find her friends, who were still stood chatting to the Quidditch team and Professor Longbottom.

"Thank god you're all still here! Professor, Miss Min's got Mouse!"

Everyone looked bemused – it was hardly an unusual occurrence.

"What in Merlin's name is wrong with that, Becky?" Professor Longbottom asked, a confused smile on his face.

"You don't understand sir! It's the Siren. I think it's possessing Miss Min, and I think she might have killed Professor Carter!"

Albus swore loudly, whilst Rose looked on in horror, and Professor Longbottom's eyes widened as he realised that Becky wasn't exaggerating.

A/N Well, what did you think? Don't be shy, concrit is always welcome! (I have been saying that for like 20 chapters, but still;).) Also, will be posting alerts on my tumblr, along with musings, so if that's your thing, I am siarlot. tumblr. com, (no spaces) however be warned, alot of it is reblogging of Doctor Who, which *may be my next fan fic!* Til next time folks!