[ 𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐏 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐓 𝐇 𝐑 𝐄 𝐄 ]
𝓬𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷
THE POTTER TWINS were arguing in potions again. It was why neither noticed when Professor McGonagall interrupted Slughorn's lesson and now stood at the door expectantly.
"Elowen! James!" Peter said, tugging on the backs of their robes.
Both turned around at the same time and yelled, "what?" Peter merely waved a hand at the two professors.
"Now that I have your attention, Miss Potter, if you'll please follow me." She quickly grabbed her bags and hurried out of her seat. Right when she left the door, her head popped back in, sticking her tongue out at James.
Back in Professor McGonagall's office, Elowen started to feel a bit anxious.
"Minnie, I promise whatever it is you think I've done, it was James. James and Sirius in fact."
Minerva raised an amused eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, you aren't in trouble for anything, but it's nice to know you have no reservations in throwing your brothers under the bus." Winnie just laughed.
"So I'm not in trouble then?"
"The opposite actually. Mister Wood is transferring to Durmstrang and he requests that you take over as team captain."
Elowen's mouth dropped open. Of everything she was expecting, that was so far down her list, it wasn't even on her list. She'd never thought that she would end up as a captain. After all, James and Sirius were on the team too. They were just as good as she was and on the team for just as long.
"Me? As in...me? Elowen Euphemia Potter, me?"
"Yes Miss Potter, you."
"Why not Jamie? Or Sirius?" She pushed.
"Would you like me to ask one of them ins—"
"Don't you dare!" Winnie gasped. Her confusion was immediately replaced with offense.
"Very well then. Remember that you're going to be hosting tryouts next week."
Elowen nodded and left the office, a soft smile on her lips.
///
James tugged on her hair once more from his seat next to her in the great hall. "Winnieeee," he dragged out. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing James."
"Eloweeeen," Sirius whined from her other side. "What aren't you telling me?"
Elowen sighed and looked at Peter and Remus across from her, exasperation clear on her face. Initially, she loved being able to hold it over all their heads, but as the week went on, she realized how truly annoying Sirius and James were.
"I think I'm going to head to the library and work on my Transfiguration essay. Remus, Peter, you're more than welcome to come." She stood up and grabbed her bag, quickly escaping the Gryffindor table.
It wasn't until she made it around the corner did she realize one of them actually had taken her up on her offer.
Remus, with his long legs, wasn't having much of an issue catching up to her. Still, she slowed her pace to match with the brunette next to her.
"Hey Remmy, ready to get our essay on?"
Remus grinned. "You know it."
At the library, the two were able to work in comfortable companionship. They'd studied together enough times to have a silent system worked out.
As always, Elowen always researched and worked in reverse order. She thought it helped her organize her thoughts and that it made more sense. Remus thought she was absurd and worked chronologically.
However, it made it perfect for them to work together. As Winnie finished taking notes and jotting down information, she'd wordlessly mark the sections he'd need and pass the book Remus's way and he'd do the same with his.
Finally, about an hour of essay working had passed before Remus brought up what James and Sirius desperately wanted to know.
"So when do we get to find out this mystery you've been holding onto."
Elowen arched an eyebrow. "We? As in everyone or as in you?"
Remus flushed a bit. "I mean me."
"Well I suppose I could tell you now—" Remus's face lit up, "—if you give me something in return."
"What's with you Potters and your ifs? Fine, then. What do you want?"
Elowen looked around as if checking if anyone was there. She leaned forward and motioned for Remus to do the same, leaned close to his ear and whispered,"I want chocolate."
Remus let out a loud laugh, only to be sternly hushed by the librarian. He shook his head in amusement and pulled out a few chocolate frogs from his bag and pushed them towards his friend.
After eating a couple and complaining about how she has to have at least 30 Dumbledores now, she finally decided to let Remus know the good news.
"Minnie has named me the new Quidditch Captain."
As soon as the words registered, Remus ran around the table, pulled the girl up, and spun her around enthusiastically.
"Oh Ellie!" Remus cried in glee. "I'm so happy for you. You've wanted this forever."
Elowen laughed into his embrace, mildly amused he remembered that fact. After she'd gotten the Seeker position in second year, she'd confided to Remus that she felt guilty about being upset that James and Sirius made the team as well. She wanted to be the captain and felt that with the two boys on the team, the odds of that happening were slim to none.
"I'm happy too."
///
James was not happy.
When he walked out to tryouts, the last thing he expected was to see his sister in the captain's uniform talking to a group of Gryffindor team wannabes.
"Bloody hell," Sirius said, stepping up beside him. James only nodded.
Sure, he was happy for Elowen. She was a bloody brilliant flyer and could probably go pro if she wanted. But who else was a bloody brilliant flyer? James.
Had he said something to offend Julian? Maybe it was the fact he'd dropped the quaffle that one time against the Slytherins last year. Perhaps he'd accidentally commented on his atrocious haircut?
"Gather around everyone," Elowen said cheerily, giving James and Sirius a mischievous grin.
Sirius glared back.
"Since you've all probably noticed, I am the new captain this year. And as such, I will be hosting tryouts. We're in need of a new seeker and a beater. However, I do feel as if there were a couple of members on the team who didn't play last season to the best of their abilities. So Mister Potter, Mister Black, if you'd both join the rest of the students hoping to try out."
"You've got to be joking!" James declared, outraged.
"We've been on this team for the last four bloody years," Sirius added.
"Well let's hope that you can stay on the team for the next two." Elowen blew her whistle.
The two boys trudged over to where the rest of the people trying out stood, ignoring the snickering of their teammates.
"Sirius, James, I assume you're going to try out for chaser and keeper?" They nodded. "Well then, good luck."
Elowen ran tryouts like they were a professional team. Everyone had to run 5 laps of the field before immediately flying 15. After that, she made everyone conduct a series of flying maneuvers based on what position they were going for.
The chasers, including James, had some of the hardest moves that nearly half of them couldn't complete. Elowen merely shrugged at the results and said "if they can't keep up at tryouts, they won't keep up in the game," and blew her whistle.
She made Sirius maintain position in front of the hoops and had all of the chasers begin trying to score.
"Extra points if you can hit him!"
"Damn you, Elowen Euphemia Potter! Damn you!"
About an hour later, while they were all still in the midst of tryouts, Remus and Peter showed up in the stands.
"Why are we here again," Remus asked, putting his book down.
"Moral support," Peter supplied before grinning. "Plus, you've got to admit Winnie putting the boys in their place is hilarious."
Sure enough, she sat casually on her broom, a bit off to the side while Sirius hung upside down on his broom with James opposite him with the quaffle in his hands.
"If you can't stop a ball upside down, who's to say you can stop one right side up?"
"That doesn't even make sense," Sirius protested.
"Do you want your spot on the team? Yes? Then get blocking."
Peter and Remus watched in amusement as James laughed and Elowen immediately made him take the shot upside down as a 'penalty.'
Finally, after three long hours of tryouts, Elowen decided she'd made her decision and sent everyone to change.
After she let James and Sirius out of their misery and let them back onto the team, she announced that a third year and a fifth year made the team.
When the boys bugged her about why she made them do all that work, she shrugged.
"I've got to keep you all on your toes somehow. Wouldn't want you getting sloppy with me as the captain."
Once they'd separated and Winnie found herself with Remus, she bumped his shoulder and turned to face him.
"Honestly, I just wanted to annoy them. It was payback for this last week."