"I hear your new keeper try outs are today" Miles said, snooping over my shoulder as I answered the questions on the board, "Know anyone going for it?"
"Not me that's for sure."
"Oh, come on Em. Throw me a bone here."
"For the last time, I'm not helping you plan a strategy against my house's team" I sighed, angling my parchment so he could read my answers without having to place his chin on my shoulder.
He thanked me, before continuing on, "I'm just being curious about my friends' life. No ulterior motives, promise."
I just looked at him blankly until he folded, "Okay, fine. It's just - as captain I'm feeling the pressure -"
I cut him off, hitting him with my Charms textbook, "Don't guilt me into spilling!"
He raised his hands, "Okay, okay." A smirk worked its way on to his face, "But it wouldn't be telling if you just ... happened to sneak me into the try-outs?"
"Angelina would kill me, then use my dead corpse to kill you."
"So... that's a no?"
"Yes, it's a no!"
"She's going to know it's you."
Miles glared at me from under the stolen Gryffindor hat and scarf, "I look totally normal, what do you mean?"
"Well first of all, that scarf is up around your ears -"
"It's a tactical choice-"
"You look ridiculous. Plus, no one here is wearing that much Gryffindor stuff. You're practically drowning in it."
"I could just be a very proud Gryffindor."
I rolled my eyes at him, "You stick out like a sore thumb."
"Oh please, no one will know it's me! I've got this totally under control."
I just sighed, walking towards the stalls to take my seat next to Lee and Hermione.
"Finally, I thought you weren't going to show" Lee said, patting the seat next to him, "Angie's in a right mood."
"It's because Harry got detention with Umbridge, he's having to miss the try outs." Hermione filled in, waving at Miles as he shuffled past us, "Hi Miles."
I burst into laughter as he froze, eyes wide.
"Oh for Merlins' sake!"
As if she had a sixth sense, Angelina flew her broom up to us, frowning at Miles with fire in her eyes.
"I know you're not crashing our try-outs right now, Chang."
Miles went pale beneath the scarf, "Uh-"
"I'm going to close my eyes" Angelina said, voice cold as ice, "and count to ten. If you're still on my quidditch pitch I swear to everything you hold dear, I will kick your arse so hard, you'll shrink 6 inches."
Before he could utter a response, she began to count.
"Shit" he muttered, sending me a quick glare before running away.
"That's what I thought." Angelina huffed, flying back down to where the people awaited.
"Remind me to never get on her bad side" Lee breathed, visibly scared.
"As long as you do the same for me"
He hooked his pinky with mine, "Deal"
Focusing back on the try-outs, I reached around Lee to lightly shove Hermione, "Is that Ron?"
"Huh- oh. Yeah."
"Seems like all those years of forcing him to play Keeper might actually pay off" I laughed, leaning forwards as he mounted his broom.
"Hes against Vicky Frobisher and... shit is that Geoffrey Hooper?"
"The whiney one?"
"Yep."
"Angelina cant stand him - if Ron flies better than Vicky I'd say he's in."
Hermione shook her head at us in little amazement, "How is it that you two know everything there is to know about Quidditch and the students who play it, yet struggle with school work."
"First of all," I said, raising my hand in her face, "That's rude. Just because I do not have the same mega brain as you - we passed all of our OWLs thank you very much, I just didn't take an extra 500."
"Second of all," Lee continued, "knowing that Quidditch stuff is kinda our job as the commentators."
"It'd be a bit embarrassing if we were up there and didn't know what we were talking about."
Hermione raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, I get your point."
Lee huffed, "kids these days, no respect for their elders."
The party raged on in the common room, Ron grinning ear to ear as he downed another butterbeer.
"I'm proud of you, squirt" I said, ruffling his hair as the twins rounded up another lot of first years to test the new snack box, eyeing a sleepy Hermione warily.
"I cant believe it" he grinned.
"Well I can - now all you've gotta do is train up a little bit, and we'll be right on track to winning the cup this year!"
Seamus and Dean came up to drag Ron away, so I walked over to Lee, who was watching the twins hand out the nosebleed nougats.
"If these go down well, we're almost completely finished on the snack boxes" he said, "and it's only the first week back!"
"Feels like it's gone on forever."
"Hasn't it just."
The nosebleeds promptly stopped as the second pill was taken, the kids looking at the twins in awe.
"These are way better than the ones we made last year - safer too."
"Just don't let Hermione hear that we were letting people buy some last year, i think she'd have a fit."
I stole a swig from Lee's drink, looking at the clock.
"Tell them I said goodnight?" I asked, nodding towards the stairs, "I'm beat."
"Yeah sure, will do. Old lady."
"Tosser."
While the other girls were still downstairs, I took the mandrake leaf out from my trunk, rereading Sirius' instructions closely.
With one last look to the full moon outside, I murmured an incantation under my breath before placing the leaf on the side of my mouth, wincing at the bitter taste.
Taking a swig of water, I churned the liquid around in my mouth, satisfied when the leaf didn't move from its place.
Scribbling on a small piece of parchment, I placed it on the side of my bed, ready to send to Sirius in the morning.
It's in - wish me luck.
- Emily
P.S. It tastes like shit.