AN: Here is the next chapter! Just to let everyone know, we decided to make some chapters into two vignettes(shorter chapters), so chapter eight will be in two parts and updated on different days next week. Enjoy!

Cassidy (Cas) Walker

Chapter 7

No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"..." Puppy dog eyes.
"..." Angry, defiant glare.
"..." Puppy dog eyes.
"...I'm going to regret this aren't I?" Jo answers me with a victorious "Yes!", an overly enthusiastic punch to my shoulder, and by grabbing my wrist and dragging me into what I know will turn out horribly for the four of us.

We meet Fred and George outside of Filtch's office. Yes, I am going to regret this. Jo shoves me towards the door, but I put my foot down, both literally and figuratively. I refuse to go near the door, which Fred is failing to unlock using what looks like a piece of wire. Pathetic, in a funny way. Jo looks at me, knowing I know how to unlock the door.

"Move" I order Fred, who obliges. "Alo hamora" The lock clicks open. The twins look at me with a mixture of surprise and admiration. I make a face to express that I find them inferior and that my direct involvement in this shenanigan is over.

Fred pushes the door open, and the twins slip inside. This is a raid, in the middle of the day, for equipment we could easily just ask to borrow. Yes, I regret this. This is stupid. I try to tell Jo but she disregards my complaints and hisses for the twins to hurry up. They emerge victoriously, carrying two broomsticks each.

Next we make our way to the Quidditch pitch, where the twins plan on stealing a set of Quidditch balls. I try to point out the obvious- that we could 1) just ask to rent the equipment, or 2) have stolen the brooms from here. But, as usual, I am surrounded by people who prefer to make life complicated. The twins emerge with a chest, and me and Jo grab the brooms. I start walking towards the pitch when Jo shouts that I'm going the wrong way.

"The dark forest is this way, stupid." Right. Because who plays Quidditch on a Quidditch pitch when there's a perfectly dark forest a good ten minute walk away? Luckily the Weasleys are doing all the heavy lifting- I just have a broom in each hand, like Jo.

"Wait. Why are there four broomsticks?" I ask. I know the answer but it didn't click until just now.

"We need a chaser, Cas. The three of us are beaters and the bludger needs a target." Obviously. I drop the broomsticks, turn around, and walk towards the castle. There aren't any classes today and because of the Quidditch mishap the rest of the match was cancelled. I could be studying or reading right now. I am good at a lot of things: Magic, logic, mischief. Not Quidditch. Quidditch is not fun.

A hand grabs my sore shoulder and I turn to slap Jo. Instead I slap Fred.

"Bloody he- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I thought you were Jo. I didn't mean to-" I stop. He's laughing. Why is he laughing? He cheek is pink from where my palm made impact, so it must have hurt. I hope it hurt- he grabbed my sore shoulder. And dragged me into this impending catastrophe. And, and...I can't help but still feel sorry. Even though he is laughing.

"No worries, Cas. You don't hit that hard, no offense. Come on, just for a few minutes you can sit on a broom. I know you can." I sigh and go get the brooms. I just have to hover for a little, right?

Wrong. Very wrong. Wrongwrongwrongwrongwrong.

That's all I can think. That and the fact that I will violently attack Jo when I get back on solid ground. Then Fred. Maybe George too. Yeah, George too. I can hear them laughing and yelling not too far behind me. I can also hear a bludger swooshing around close to the tail of my broom. Dangerously close.

Because of my sweaty palms I am simultaneously losing my grip on both my broom and the quaffle. Because of this I am flying out of control- obviously the twins and Jo aren't doing much better, considering the bludger is still on me. And sill, all I can think: This is wrong. Quidditch is wrong for me. If I cannot slap a guy without making him laugh in pity, I definitely should not be playing Quidditch.

I am dodging the trees of the dark forest mostly successfully, the bludger not doing quite so well. The noise of cracking branches clues me in to how long I have until a painful impact. Looking straight ahead, a see a clearing opening up- the edge of the forest. I know where I am. I know what I'm about to do is wrong. I know I will regret it. I do it anyway.

Within five seconds I'm out in the open. In the middle of day. In the sunlight. Coming in hot on Hagrid's Hut. I drop the quaffle and bank hard back to the dark forest. But my hands are so sweaty and my banking so awful that I fall off the broom. As I hit the ground I hear something shatter- Hagrid's window. The bludger was apparently worse at banking than I was, and went right into Hagrid's hut. I'm relatively unscathed, so I run into the forest and don't wait to see what happens when Hagrid realizes what's going on.

I'm trudging through the dark forest when I hear whooping coming from behind me. I stop, knowing that I'm about to be reunited with the others. I turn around, but I don't see anyone. I don't hear them anymore either. Fine. I can get back on my own. I don't need a broomstick or company.

But the next thing I know, I have both. First a broom is dropped on my back. Then a Weasley falls on my sprawled body. It is incredibly painful, yet the boy (I'm guessing it's Fred) is laughing. This is not funny. I try to push him off, but I'm not strong enough and I am forced to wait out the laughter until he's ready to pull himself up. He turns around and looks down on me. It's George. He offers me his hand, but I push myself up instead. Fred and Jo join us, both grinning like idiots. They all have wind-blown hair, but they look fine otherwise. I look down at myself. I am filthy.

Jo is looking at me too, amused to the point of laughter. I glare, snatch my broom (the one George had dropped on me) and turn away in a purposeful huff. Jo runs to my side, apologizing. The twins lag behind.

"Come on, can't tell me that wasn't fun."

"Yes I can! That was NOT fun, Jo. That was awful. Horrible. The absolute worst idea you've ever had!"

"It's was George and Fred's idea...and it was perfect- we three have to wait until third year to try out, and it's not like we get any practice. We needed this- we couldn't have done it without you!" She nudges my shoulder, and I loosen up. I still don't get why George had to drop my broom and his body on me, but that isn't Jo's fault.

"I'm never doing this again. I very much regret this." She rolls her eyes at me, but nods. We keep walking towards the castle, the sun sky just beginning to darken. It's peaceful, kind of. Until we hear it. A bellow. An angry, annoyed, loud bellow. We stop.

"Hagrid's home."

We start running.

AN: Thanks for reading, and please comment/review! Just a reminder chapter 8 will be in two parts. Let me know what you think of the girls!