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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟒: 𝐓𝐑𝐘-𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐒
❝ 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒃𝒔. ❞
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—The students of Hogwarts had a good week of entertainment due to Stella's actions. She was not reckless with her actions that's why all were left clueless and still yet to catch her.
She was ecstatic when everyone was talking about her magnificent work but them not really knowing who she really was had her feeling like a ghost writer in some sort of way.
But then again some sort of people were curious about who was behind the highlight of their year.
Too curious.
"—I'm telling you it's the Prewett twins!" Sirius held out a parchment that had several names, either marked with a cross-out or a circle.
"They already said it wasn't them, Sirius." Remus hummed comfortably, it's been days since the full moon has passed and he was getting better and better.
"Then who did?!" The long-haired boy huffed shoving his face first then his body into the sofa.
"Why do you even need to find them anyway?" interrogated Stella and knowing them, it's something that's not good.
The 4 Mauraders looked at each other with mischievous grins on their faces. Surprisingly, even Remus.
"Because, Star..." James sighed draping one of his arms over her shoulder. "That person just pulled off a Maurader's level prank and we just want to talk to them how they did it."
Stella pushed James off of her and looked at all of them incredulously, that surely can't be it.
"Those punchable smirks say something else." She pointed at all of them, afterall she needed to hear what they wanted from her.
"And then eventually, we'll ask them if they want to help us or even become a Maurader."
Called it.
The thought of becoming a Maurader was an immediate 'no' to Stella. Sure she pulled off an incredible prank but that was only for Malfoy and speaking of that subject, if she gets caught she'll have a month of detention or maybe even two.
Joining the Mauraders was on another level, they were always the Number 1 suspect when it comes to pranks and because of that, they were immune to detention.
Stella would be living in hell with those 4 if she joins them.
"What makes you lot think that they want to join your secret little boy band?" Stella raised her eyebrows at them.
"Because we're the Mauraders?" Sirius asked rather to himself. "The most popular student in Hogwarts?"
"Merlin, your egos are insurmountable."
"Insur— what now?" James scrunched his nose up hearing the unfamiliar word.
"Anyway, enough about that." Sirius called out and neatly folded the parchment before shoving it in his robes. "Don't miss us too much, James and I are—"
"Going later for the try-outs?" Peter asked dropping his cauldron cake. "Yes, we know."
"How—"
"Because you're both wearing your Quidditch jumper underneath your robes and you say that every year." Remus stated shutting the two nutters up as Stella snorted.
"Fair enough." James cleared his throat.
"Say, have you heard of Quidditch, Star?" Sirius brushed his precious black hair aside before sitting next to the girl.
James, who was beside them eyed the two carefully. Since when were they this close?
"What makes you think I haven't?" Stella retorted, smacking Sirius on the back of his head. "Just because I studied in Beauxbatons doesn't mean I don't know Quidditch, you idiot"
"Okay, okay, sorry." Sirius who was still laughing, shielded himself with his arms as Stella began hitting him to oblivion. "Ouch— not the hair, woman!"
"So if you know Quidditch, do you play as well?" Peter kindly asked and Stella immediately halted from hitting her friend.
The raven-haired girl smiled at this. Not the sweet smile she often shows to Peter, but a mischievous one.
Uncannily identical to the Mauraders.
Stella had been having this idea to try-out for seeker in the Gryffindor team, it makes her want to do it every time she hears the Mauraders talk about it, but mostly because it'll annoy her mother.
"Infact, I do play Quidditch, Peter."
"YOU WHAT?!"
"Is it that hard to believe?" Stella asked tilting her head to the side.
"Yes." Remus breathed out with a stunned expression look on his face. "Your books are all about..." he hesitated to continue, afraid that he'll offend Stella.
"About?"
"You know girl-y stuff like your books, about your ballet lessons, and about delicate spells." he muttered so quietly, it was barely audible.
"You dance ballet?!" James shouted but this time, Sirius rolled his eyes at the messy haired boy playfully instead, he already knew how strict pureblood families work, he was from one after all.
"Yes, but that's not the point." Stella sighed while standing up. "I was forced to do every thing that I did in Beauxbatons, I didn't had a chance to do what I wanted."
"But now that I'm not monitored every bloody hour of the day, I get to do what I want." She spoke up having a sly smile on her face and the boys took it in confusion.
"That's why I'm going to try-outs later. As a seeker."
"YOU'RE WHAT?!"
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Weird and astonished looks were thrown at Stella when she got out of the locker room.
Some stared because at how big the Quidditch robes were for her but mostly because of her Nimbus 1000.
"Wow." Sirius grinned. "You made their brooms look like shit compared to yours."
Stella laughed but then playfully rolled her eyes. "You've got the same brooms as me and James."
The Gryffindor chaser swiftly snapped his neck to her direction. "You— wait, what did you just call me?" he smiled.
"James?" she tilted her head to the side.
"But why?" at this point from disbelief, James has already dropped his broom to the field and Sirius was watching in both curiosity and amazement.
"Because... it's your name?"
"Yes! I mean— yes, but you never call me 'James'." he mused. "It's always 'Potter' or sometimes 'oi'."
"Would you like me to stop calling you by your first name then?" she asked, confused. But a mischievous smirk played around her lips. "Or should I call you 'Fleamont' ?" she taunted.
Sirius burst out laughing when Stella brought that name up. He was the one who told her that after all.
"I— no, no! 'James' is more than fine, it's perfect—" he cleared his throat. "I meant, yeah, 'James' is okay. I guess." he shrugged looking like he doesn't care at all, but his red face says otherwise.
All of the Gryffindor students that were trying out for Quidditch this year were starting to line up, and all the official players were starting to talk about their try-out routines.
"Rosier!" Gryffindor's 7th year seeker called out and the rest of the students' trying out for the seeker position. "Bye, Sirius." she waved.
"No goodbye for me?" asked James fake hurting with his hand on his chest, pouting.
Stella turned around once more with a smile to annoy James. "Bye Fleamont!"
"She's not gonna stop calling me that anytime now, is she?" sighed James.
"Yup." nodded Sirius, expecting him to be irritated.
But instead, a sheepish smirk was plastered on his lips.
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"I'm bloody knackered." groaned Stella as she tossed herself on the maroon couch on their common room.
Peter kindly put away her Nimbus on her room as well as her gears, while Remus brought her food since they missed dinner. "How did it go?"
"It went brilliant, actually."
"It was a disaster."
Stella glared once more at a smirking James. "Don't you dare bring it up—"
"I won't, I won't." he brought his hands up, mocking a surrender.
"So, do you think you'll be on the team?" Remus interrupted, cutting the tension.
"No." she whined, remembering the embarrassing moments earlier. "I don't even know if I'm considered as a reserve player!"
"With fast flying skills like that, Star. I'm sure you'll get in." smirked Sirius, stuffing his face with turkey.
'what even happened?' Peter mouthed at Sirius and James, while pointing at Stella, who was playing with her food.
'later' Sirius and James mouthed giggled like little kids.
With the earlier events still on her head, Stella muttered a quick goodnight and called it a day since her ego and pride was so utterly broken.
Meanwhile, the Mauraders were in their dorm room, each of them laughing at James and Stella's event earlier.
"—and then the snitch hit my bloody face and Stella couldn't stop her broom." James howled with laughter.
"They crashed mid-air, free-falling with James falling flat in his face and Stella on her arse." Sirius rambled on but struggling since he couldn't control his laughter. "Everyone in the field saw it and laughed but they all stopped when she held up the snitch."
"She caught the snitch?!" Remus and Peter said in unison.
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The next morning, constant loud and harsh banging came outside Stella's own dorm along with vexatious voices.
"Rise and shine, Star!" taunted James. "The results come out today!"
"Sod off!"
"Stella~" Sirius called with a sing-song tone. "Everyone's looking for you. They're looking for the girl who fell on her a—"
Sirius wasn't able to finish his sentence when Remus smacked his head in her door.
"Come on now, Star. I'm sure you're on the team!" James encouraged but it was no use.
Hushed voices were now heard instead of loud ones and Stella couldn't help but get out of her bed and lean on her door to hear better.
"She's not going out." Peter stated.
"What if we just burst her door open?" James suggested making Stella's eyes widen.
"On the count of three?" Sirius asked and Stella could feel them all nod.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Thr—"
Stella opened her door instantly making a the 4 of them fall down like dominoes on the floor, making them grunt in pain.
"Sometimes, I wonder if you lot are muggles or squibs." Stella says with her arms crossed as everyone picked themselves up.
"What makes you say that?" Sirius asked, wiping off his clothes.
"Couldn't you lot have used
'alohamora' instead?" she teased, and the boys hit sudden realization when their mouths formed an 'o' shape.
"Anyway, the results are out." Remus excitedly clasped his hands together.
"Nope." Stella stubbornly says and running back to her bed, but before she could do so, two shrong hands pulled her. "James— I swear to Merlin, I will kill you with my bare hands if you don't let me go."
"I'd like to see you try." he says leaning down on Stella's ear as she pushed and guided her down the stairs gently but firmly.
Though she couldn't see his face, Stella could feel a smirk was playing around his lips.
Soon enough, the 5 Gryffindors made their way to the headboard of announcements, their eyes frantically shifting as it searched for the Quidditch team results.
Stella knew it. The Gryffindor team couldn't accept her even if James and Sirius have vouched for her. She guessed she'll just curl up in a ball and cry herself from the embarrassment she faced yesterday.
It may sound overdramatic, but who cares? Her bloody red days had started a few hours ago anyway.
Her glum thoughts were dispersed into thin air when she heard the Mauraders scream.
"You got in! you got in!" James squealed like a little girl. "You're our new seeker!"
Stella pushed pass a few Gryffindors and saw it for herself.
'Seeker: Stella Rosier - 3rd year'
She didn't knew if it was her period hormones or the paramount excitement that coursed through every fibers of her body but she immediately grabbed someone to hug and express her cheerful feelings.
and that person just so happens to be James Potter.
"I got in! I got in!" now it was time for Stella to squeal as she jumped up and down with her arms on James' neck and his hands on her waist, balancing her.
The rest of the Mauraders watched in amazemet as Stella hugged James, but they enjoyed the flustered look on James' face more.
The young Potter felt something fluttering in his stomach that was slightly familiar to when he was crushing back on Lily in his 2nd year.
But this time, the feeling was worse.
A lot worse.
But he definitely liked the feeling.
author's note
did i just abandon you guys and this story for a month??? yes, yes i did and i'm sorry about it!
i'll be updating frequently now since it's christmas break.
and thank youuuuu for almost 3.k reads, u guys have my whole heart.
also, james' feeling will start from this point, and he'll fall for stella hard and fast, just so u guys know.
if you also have an extra time, pls check my new james potter story called "wrong send" which is a social media au :)
that's all. stay safe and take care <3