Chapter Twenty Four : Endeavour
Third Person POV
Hogwarts, 1976
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Elizabeth was incredibly happy about the return to Hogwarts, basically jumping on Summer and Emilia when she saw them in their compartment, leaving the two very confused as Elizabeth had never really liked hugs.
'You're certainly hungry...' Summer had commented at the great feast where Elizabeth had six sausages, three eggs, potato mash, and was going have more before Emi had stopped her; 'you're going to be sick! did your parents starve you or something?' Emi had said half-jokingly, catching the stares of Sirius from across the table.
Emilia was right about Elizabeth going to be sick after the feast. She rubbed the back of Elizabeth's robe as the latter held her stomach walking back from the Great Hall. Summer laughed slightly, chatting away with Issac who was next to them.
-
"So...what would you think if I tried out for the beater position? " Elizabeth mumbled the next morning while eating her single egg, the sound of dropping cutlery in response from Emilia and Summer.
"Like, like Quidditch? You? Quidditch?" Summer exclaimed, visibly surprised, "Have you ever actually played?"
"No, no, no. Remember first year when we had to do Quidditch and Madam Hooch said she was a natural and that she should try out but she was too scared?" Emilia reminded Summer, wagging her finger.
"Ahh! Yes I remember, her saying, 'Sorry Miss, I won't be able to do Quidditch. I'm not that good.'" Summer recalled, imitating Elizabeth's quiet first year voice with an overly posh tone.
"I don't sound that posh!" They laughed, Emilia shaking her head while holding the table sides.
"Oh yes, you did! Good thing we saved you or else you'd be talking like the Minister or some sort." Elizabeth grew up with her parents telling her off for not saying things correctly or using slang words, so she learned just not to do it. That was until she met the two, teaching her how to speak 'normally'. She was very thankful for the two, otherwise she really would be sounding like some old witch or wizard.
"But other than that, do what you want Eliza. Don't ask us for approval just do it, we're not your parents for Merlin's sake," Summer smiled, looking up to Elizabeth before continuing eating cereal and Emilia nodded in agreement.
"Just be careful, alright? Don't want to scuff up that pretty face of yours!" Emilia nudged Elizabeth with her elbow, a smirk on her face. "When are try outs anyway?"
"...Uh, tomorrow?" Summer and Emilia looked at each other before looking at Elizabeth.
"Yeah I'm free tomorrow I'll come," Emilia said before Summer nodded,
"Me too, I'll come with you." Elizabeth smiled at the two as they ate their breakfast, not knowing how much their words meant to the girl in front of them.
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The Next Day
Elizabeth walked into the Slytherin changing rooms and stood in front of the mirror staring at herself.
She brought her hands down her face in nervousness, slumping down onto a bench behind her, breathing speeding up slightly. Oh Merlin if they ever found out, I should stop. I should run back to the library where I'm best fit. Why did I even think to do this- no. I need to calm down. Elizabeth took a deep breath.
The girl shook her head, puffing out her cheeks,
No, no. I'm doing this. I am going to do this.
After Elizabeth had put on her brown boots she walked outside the tent suddenly getting ambushed by a certain Gryffindor. "Betsy! What are you doing?!" Sirius said, concern clear on his face while he grabbed Elizabeth's forearm tightly, making her wince. He noticed this and let go, worry on his face, "Sorry, but Be-"
"Sirius, shut up will you?" The blonde said with a bit of annoyance in her voice, "I'm trying out to be the Slytherin Beater is what I'm doing, what does it concern you?!"
Sirius looked in shock of some sort, "What does it concern me?! You could get seriously hurt, especially as a beater-"
"Don't you think I know this? You're not going to stop me, so either support me or go away." Elizabeth said in rebuttal, her frustration rising.
He stared at her for a moment before sighing and holding a hand on his face, "I just don't want you to get hurt."
The Slytherin held a hand out and put it on Sirius' cheek, "I know. But I won't. Okay?"
After a couple of seconds, Sirius reluctantly accepted he wouldn't change her mind and nodded," Fine...bu-"
"Everyone trying out for the beater position please come to the field!" An loud voice called from the pitch, cutting off Sirius.
Elizabeth looked up before looking back at Sirius with a determined smile on her face. "Alright! I'm ready!" She started walking onto the field hearing behind her,
"That's my girl!"
Elizabeth smiled to herself happily,
Oh, the butterflies that boy gives me.
-
"Right!" The Slytherin Captain, Lucinda Talkalot, loudly exclaimed in front of the people trying out for the beater position, which there weren't many compared to the amount of people trying out for other positions such as seeker or chaser. "So! How this is gonna work is that we're gonna see how your flying is, then how you are with a bludger!"
Everyone was guided to a line on one end of the field and was told to get ready to do a few laps around the field. As Elizabeth got ready on her broom, a brunette next to her whispered, "Is that Sirius Black supporting you?" Looking up at the Gryffindor on the stands giving Elizabeth a big thumbs up, the sight making her smile.
"Yeah. Yeah, he is."
-
The flying portion of the try outs went smoothly for Elizabeth. Sirius didn't know someone could be so elegant while flying until now when Elizabeth flew past him. Emilia and Summer, who were sat next to Gryffindor since they were all supporting Elizabeth, were both marvelling at the Slytherin as well.
"Right then! Farley, Collins, Song, you pass the flying training. The rest of you, get lost or try another position," Lucinda shouted, everyone who didn't pass groaning with disappointment. Elizabeth walked up to the Slytherin Captain, along the other three who passed the first stage.
"Don't you think Eliza's way too good at flying? Like, I swear she's only ever used a broom in flying class, except for that one time when we smuggled her to your place and chased each other around on your brooms," Summer commented to Emilia, who was watching Elizabeth almost as though she were a proud mother.
Emilia glanced at the blonde, shrugging as she turned back to watch Elizabeth, "She probably doesn't get to fly at her place, but Madam Hooch did say Eliza is a natural."
Summer nodded in agreement turning back to watch Elizabeth, Sirius hearing in on their conversation. And to think I thought I knew a lot about Eliza...
"Right so, for the beater position you have to actually know how to beat a bluger! Who would've thought?" The three chuckled slightly before Lucinda pointed at the person at the start of the line. "Collins! youre going first, try not to get a concussion yeah?"
Jake Collins, an overconfident 3rd year that was generally disliked by all the other houses, laughed nervously before heading up on his broom getting ready.
Needless to say, he didn't try hard enough.
"Right, uh, lets hope Collins has a speedy recovery!" Lucida said taking glances behind her seeing Collins on a hospital bed. Still, Elizabeth wasn't going to let that discourage her.
It did worry Sirius though. A lot. Terribly. Hugely. Massively. And you could tell looking at Sirius tapping his foot and holding fistfuls of hair.
From down below Elizabeth saw this and tryed to give a reassuring smile to Sirius, which helped him calm down just a bit.
The second person called Alexa Song did alright, not getting a concussion of any kind and getting a 'Good job!' from Lucinda and Elizabeth.
"And finally, Elizabeth Farley! I'm expecting great things." Elizabeth nodded keeping her smile tight, remembering was her parents told her before she did anything."If you're not the best, don't even bother doing it."
She didn't know anything better than that sadly, so she always did so.
Elziabeth flew up holding the bat, her eyes scanning for the bludger around her, before she heard the wind behind her and swivled around hitting the bludger.
The bludger cane from the right last time and she had no problem hitting it, a adrenaline rush coming to her. This is fun.
The third time the bludger came from below, maling Eliza move backwards by turning up and down. Earning some cheers from Summer, Emilia and Sirius and... James, Peter and Remus?!?
Why are they here? Elizabeth wondered distracting her for a moment before hitting the last bluger coming from aboveeith agility.
Elizabeth flew down to Alexa and Lucida on the field who complimented her on her preformance.
"Well! I think it's safe to say that you two arr the chosen two! Good job guys, you two did great."
Elizabeth stood there for a moment before smiling widely and turning towards Alexa and quickly shaking her hand, congratulating her, then running towards the stands where her friends were.
"AHHHH!!! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!!" Emilia shouted, englufing Elizabeth in a hug sufficating her as well as Summer who was squealing over her.
"Can I breathe please?" Elizabeth begged inbetween the two girls before approching the devious boys. "Not to be rude, but what are you guys doing here? I thought you guys didn't like Slytherins, especially you, Potter."
The group did a slight chuckle, James Potter still rubbing his neck slightly. "Well, Padfoot here is like, head ove- ow!" Sirius gave his friend a 'slight' nudge in James' side with a annoyed look on his face. "Uh.. what I meant to say was, Sirius is always talking about you so I reckon Sirius couldn't choose a bad one."
"... a bad one? "
"No, no, no, no, no, what I'm saying is- if Sirius likes you, you can't be bad. I mean Merlin, he talks about you all the time, like bloody hell pa-"
"Ahem, anyways!" Remus interupted James' jabbering. "Eliza, good job on the beater position. And I'm sorry in advance for Sirius' commentary when you play." Remus whispered the last part holding onto Elizabeth's shoulder slightly.
Peter didn't say much but did give Elizabeth a hearty pat on the back which made her stumble a bit towards.. Sirius. She looked up at Sirius with everybody chattering in the background while the two stared at each other glowing.
"Sirius."
"My Rose!" Sirius blurted lifting up Elizabeth by the waist and spinning her around, Elizabeth laughing in the responce. Sirius placed her back down next to her holding her cheek gently.
"Where did the name 'Rose' come from then?" Elizabeth questioned, but he just shook his head.
"Oh that's for another time rosebud, but on a more important matter!" He smiled widley, "You got the position! I didn't doubt you for a second!"
She rolled her eyes playfully at him, "Oh of course you did, let's rewind back to before the tryouts, hm?"
"Oh Betsy, you wound me!" But they still hugged eachother warmly, and Sirius whispered into her red ears, "But I would never doubt you darling. Never."
At this point, "Oh Betsy, you wound me" will become Sirius' catchphrase. Also I keep on lowkey forgetting about Amari because she becomes more important in later acts/chapters I swear, so we don't really know what to do with her rn lmao. I edited this chapter on my phone and it was the most difficult thing in the world so sorry if there are any mistakes. Oh, and Happy Easter!
- Ashlynn 🌿