"How were tryouts?" Evie asked gloomily three days later when she was let out of the hospital.
James gulped down his breakfast.
"It was all right, I suppose," he answered, just as gloomy, "but chances are slim this year."
"Sorry," she muttered, glaring daggers at her arm sling. James waved it off.
"It's nothing," he said, "oh, by the way, Professor McGonagall wanted to see you, now. In her classroom," James added as an afterthought.
*
"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Evie knocked on the door.
"Miss Reinhardt, come in," came the stern reply.
"Now, I have heard of your accident, and I greatly regret not having you on the team this year," Professor McGonagall said softly, surprising Evie. "Robert Ackerley has graduated, and there is no one to commentate on the matches. Would you like to?"
Evie shrugged. "Sure, Professor," she said, "I'll do it."
"Very good," Professor McGonagall said briskly, "you may go now; you have your first class in ten minutes."
*
"Class, we will be beginning a new study on Muggle currency. Now, in the history of Muggle money, paper money did not come until much later. Before then, they used metal chunks similar to our money in which to pay for their purchases. This was a large development from bartering and trading. And..."
"Commentating?" Sirius whispered. Evie nodded, having a hard time taking notes with her left hand. Sirius looked at her parchment, looking large, messy scrawls made by her quill.
"Cwmmsj?" he smirked.
"Sod off," she retorted, trying to making her handwriting more readable.
"Duplicato!" Giving a small chuckle, Sirius handed Evie a copy of his notes.
She raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Since when do you take notes?"
Sirius shrugged.
"I figured that you would've wanted some," he replied casually as Evie took the copy. Though his handwriting untidy and small, it was still more readable than Evie's pathetic scribbling.
"Thanks," she grinned as she tucked away the parchment, "Thank Merlin you're in all my classes." Sirius nodded slowly before he realized what she had said.
"What? This is a one time thing, I'm not going to do you a service," he started to say...
*
"This must be the first time I've never had to take notes in all my classes," Evie laughed as she flipped through the pages, "I should get Regulus to break my arm more often. By the way, what did you do to the Slytherins while I was out?"
"A Muggle brawl, bit of redecorating, a few threats, more Muggle brawls, then we locked them in the dungeons," Sirius shrugged, "dunno if they've gotten out yet though. Look, I've got a bruise right here!" he showed her his left arm.
"Well thanks for - What kind of bruise is that?" Evie stared at his arm, "that's barely turned purple! Bloody hell, I broke my arm and ribs and I've been lying in a hospital bed for the past three days and you're complaining about a bruise?" she patted his shoulder, "pretty boy."
Sirius grumbled to himself as he and Evie went down to the Great Hall.
"Evie, how did you manage in all your classes?" asked Lily concerned as Evie sat down, "must've been so difficult for you to take notes!"
"Aw, you know, I had help," Evie grinned, "Sirius decided to offer his services to me."
"You owe me eight Sickles!" Sirius shot back, "my hand is bloody sore from all that writing." He held up his right hand, which looked perfectly fine.
"Oh Merlin help us if Sirius' hand is less than perfect," James said sarcastically, "the entire world, as we know it will fall apart!"
He ducked as mashed potatoes came hurling his way, hitting a passing by Professor Flitwick square in the cheek.
*
"Detention tomorrow night!" Sirius groaned.
Lily gave him a reproachful look. "Well, if you hadn't hit Professor Flitwick, you wouldnt have detention."
"Defending James, eh, Lily?" said Evie mischievously, her blue eyes glinting. Lily flushed red before she got up, muttering about homework. Just then, a group of seven Gryffindors burst through the portrait hole, looking sweaty and muddy.
"The showers broke down," croaked James as a couple of second and third years scurried by, "we've got to use the common room ones now."
"How did magically working showers break down?" Evie asked skeptically, and the others shrugged. She looked at the Gryffindor team, noticing that they were all waving at her. She sheepishly waved back.
"Aren't you in our DADA class?"
"Where are you in the other classes?"
"Why are you hanging out with the seventh years?"
"How's Professor Deboale?"
"All right, all right, off to the showers, go!" James ushered them away and stopped their interrogation on Evie.
"Little buggers," said Evie, scratching her head, "looks like you're running a babysitting center, Potter."
"Well, all the seventh years last year are gone; Jerry Tryor, supposed to be in sixth year now transferred schools, Lois Limburg can't play because she's falling behind in school," James said, looking at all the second years, "oh, and Malia Morris wanted to try out, but Barclay dragged her away," James chuckled.
"First Hogsmeade visit is this Saturday," Remus said calmly, who had been reading his textbook. He looked up, and he, Sirius and James shared a knowing smile. Peter and Evie, had been unfortunately left out in the dark.
"Not all of us know Legilimency, you know," Evie said irritably.
James face fell. "But then we can't go to Hogsmeade."
"We could, if we come back early," Remus said. Peter's eyes lit up once he figured through the ambiguity, leaving Evie alone in her confusion.
"Then we have to start setting up at four?"
"And so we leave Hogsmeade at three,"
"We could get our supplies from there as well."
"Oi! Crippled girl still in the room!" Evie waved her uninjured hand in the air, "I'm not deaf, you know."
"Has anyone got a date for Hogsmeade yet?" asked Remus, "I'm not going." All of them, except Evie, shared another knowing nod.
"Better get a date quick, Prongs," Sirius smirked. James' eyes lit up.
"You're right! Evie, where's Lily?"
"In the dorms, mate, but don't think -" Evie started to say, happy she finally knew something, but it was too late. James was already halfway up the stairs before he slid back down, looking thoroughly disgruntled. The slide to the girls' dorms magically shifted back into stairs, as if nothing had happened at all.
"Nearly told you so," Evie laughed, "don't be so eager next time, mate, it may cost more than your pride next time."
"Hey Padfoot, have you got a date for Hogsmeade?" James asked.
Sirius shrugged. "Not yet, I'm going for supplies. And if I have a date, so much the better."
James nodded. "I see."
"I guess it's just us three staying at Hogwarts, Prongs," Peter said cheerfully. James glared at him.
"What do you mean, us three?"
Peter gulped, realizing James' deep and accusatory glare. "Nothing, just in case, you know, if..." he faltered off, looking flustered. James sighed.
"Yeah," he said dejectedly, running his hand through his hair, "it's just as well; she'll probably say 'no'."
Hearing this, Evie bolted from her seat; blue eyes blazing. "We'll just see about that," she muttered, then shouted, "Lily Evans! Get you and your prissy red hair out of that dorm and into the common room NOW." A few moments later, Lily came down, looking slightly disheveled, her arms crossed.
"What do you want?" she asked wearily, "I just fell asleep over my essay."
"Perfect time to wake up then," said Evie decisively, "James has got something to ask you." She turned to James, who had been vigorously shaking his head before.
"N-not really, no," James shot back, rumpling his hair nervously. Evie sighed.
"Fine, since James is being a shy, insufferable git, I'll ask for you," Evie stood on the couch, snatched James' glasses from off his face, and stuck them on her own nose.
"Lily," she began, lowering her voice copiously, "would you be so kind as to accompany me to Hogsmeade this Saturday? I promise, I won't hex Snivellus or go off to doing pranks today, leaving you with your pretty face standing there, all alone, heartbroken and angry, creating a hectic problem for me the next time I see you." Evie clasped her hands and deliberately ruffled her hair. James grabbed his glasses back and shoved Evie off the couch, glaring murderously at her.
Lily had flushed pink and was laughing at Evie's speech. "Sure, James, I'd love to," she ruffled the real James' hair before she went up to the dorms again.
James looked befuddled as everyone crowded to see his reaction. He wore a big grin on his face as he lifted a groaning Evie from the ground and spun her around in the air multiple times.
"Thank you Evie! I could kiss you!" he rejoiced, still twirling her around.
"And I could throw up on you. Put me down," she demanded, and he meekly set her back on the floor. She stumbled around for a couple of minutes, looking slightly green. She took a couple of deep breaths and stabled herself.
"Forgot you were easily nauseous," James apologized as Evie's face color slowly turned back to normal, "but honestly, how do you handle Quidditch?"
"You don't see me flying my broom around in circles, do you?" she retorted, "and save the kisses for Lily. Mind you, if I see your lips come any nearer than they are now, they'll turn into chicken lips."
*
"Come on, Bailey, stretch for the goal!" James called as the small boy nearly tumbled over to save the goals. James threw another one and it slipped through his fingers again.
James sighed. "All right, I'm going to throw an easy one, yeah?" the boy nodded in reply; his brow sweaty from effort.
James lobbed him a slow shot, which the boy managed to catch, just barely being able to keep hold of the ball. James gave a small nod.
"It's a start, I guess."
"Oi, Potter! Down here!" Evie waved up at him. In her hand was a school broom, which she used to fly up to James quite easily, even with her bad arm.
James whistled. "Team, separate!" After a bit of chatting and flying, the team eventually separated, the Beaters throwing and hitting balls on one side, the Chasers passing and shooting, which the Keeper was trying to stop. The Seeker was doing laps; flying from hoop to hoop.
"So, how's the team coming along?" Evie glanced at the failing Keeper, who was barely able to catch all of the easy and unorganized shots the Chasers made, "are you going to win?"
"Of course we are!" exclaimed James indignantly, "they may not look like much now, but they'll be ready for the game!"
"The game's on the first of October, James," Evie said, watching James' eyes widen then droop. He thought critically.
"The first?"
"Mhmm, that's what I'm here to tell you, but," Evie flicked open a small notepad, "I've got to learn the names of all your team members first."
James sighed as he watched Evie bob along on the school broom, making her way around the pitch.
"Come on, Mace," he called to his Seeker, "I'll throw you a couple of balls."
"Right-o, name please," Evie took out her Muggle pen that Lily had given her, and decided to not hold onto her broom, so she balanced on it awkwardly.
"Christopher Bailey," he replied quietly. He had brown hair, striking green eyes, and a slightly pointed face.
"Position?"
"Keeper, but I'm lousy," he replied sadly, "I can never stop the ball from scoring."
"I'll make you a deal," Evie said, unable to grasp her pen, "you write your name on this notepad for me, and I can give you some tips." Christopher took her pen and wrote his name neatly on the notepad and stuck it in her sling.
"Brilliant! My arm sling has a use after all," Evie looked happily at the notepad, swinging it about. Christopher had a polite smile on his face, but his eyes gave her a strange look.
"All right, I watched you play a bit while talking to James," she said, "and I noticed that you never go back to center. Always, when blocking a goal, return to center. Because you never know when they might rebound on you. Like this," she flew to the hoops.
"If someone tries to score on you here," she went over to the right hoop, "block, then fly back to center. Do you see?"
Christopher nodded eagerly.
"And another thing: Don't fly too near the hoops, block at least this far," she flew, making a border with her hand, "it's right where the edge of the bleachers are."
"Right," said Christopher, determined to learn it all, "go back to centre, and not to near the hoops."
"And practicing catching the ball, Evie said, "ask James to lend you a bouncy ball, chances are he will. Throw the ball against the ball and catch it. Take a step back, and throw it again. Take steps and steps until you can't throw it any farther, then throw it at angles, and run and catch it. Then, use a broom," she said motioning to her broom.
"Thanks," Christopher said brightly, "I'll ask him right now!"
"Go to it! And... you don't happen to be in Professor Deboale's second year DADA class, do you?"
"Uh uh, I'm in third year, cheers!" he flew off to find James.
"Cute little bugger," Evie muttered as she reported to the Beaters, "name and position?"
"Why should we give it to you?" the two boys chirped, each of them wearing matching smirks.
"Because if you don't, I'll send this pen up both of your noses, at the same time," she retorted, wiping the smirks off their faces as they meekly gave their names.
"Simon Taylor, Beater."
"Jonathan Jerks, Beater."
"Got that right," Evie muttered, randomly jotting down scribbles while maintaining the balance of her broom, "years?"
"We're in our second," Simon chirped, "say, aren't you -"
"I - uh - got to go! Uh, bye," Evie flew away quickly, leaving the two boys looking confusedly at each other.
"How are you getting the names?" James flew to her as he gave them a five minute break.
"Keeper's a nice chap, the Beaters are obnoxious idiots," Evie took out her notepad from her arm sling, "write the Beaters' names down for me, please?"
"Fine," he took her pen and began jotting, "want me to get the Chasers and Seeker too?"
"Nah, got to memorize their faces too," Evie sighed, "but it's rather hard you see, riding freehand and jotting things down with one hand."
James chuckled. "Well, good luck," and he flew off, calling the teams to keep practicing.
"Name, and position?"
"Mildred Mace, Seeker," the blonde-headed girl piped up, "second year."
"Seeker, eh? You did pretty good when I was watching you," Evie smiled as the girl smiled back.
"But I can barely do anything with this lousy broom," she sighed, "I go slower than everyone here, but my parents can't afford one, they're barely getting by themselves," she whispered the last part to herself.
Sensing that it was private business she was treading on, Evie pretended not to hear as she clumsily jotted down her name.
"Thank you, take care Mildred," Evie gave her a kind smile as tucked her notepad away and started to fly towards the Chasers.
"Now, Chasers... I know Potter, but I don't know you two," she pointed her quill at the girl and boy, one with short black hair and the other with brown hair, "name, position and year?"
"Richard Murray, second," the boy with short black hair replied.
"Pauline Meadowes, second," the other said, "and I know you! You're in my DADA class! I saw you in the common room a few days ago! Why don't I see you in my other classes? What are you -"
"Tired," Evie interrupted Pauline awkwardly, "erm, going to bed. See you, Potter." She dropped to the ground and quickly proceeded back to the Gryffindor common room, leaving James to deal with Pauline.
...
| ||
