Second Year, Quidditch
Saturday October 28th 1972
This was the day, the both highly anticipated and feared day that Marlene had seen looming on the horizon for years. Ever since she had been taught how to fly a broom by her brother, ever since she had learned what quidditch was, she had been waiting for this particular day. All those endless hours of training and pushing herself to her limits, had all been building up to this moment.
Try-outs would start at five in the morning, but Marlene had been up for most of the night, unable to fall asleep. At first, she really had tried to catch some shut-eye. For the most part at the insistence of Lily, who had told Marlene that she would only improve her chances of getting in, if she was well rested. Still, after tossing and turning for a couple of hours and getting up to go to the bathroom at least three times, Marlene had decided she would stop trying and just get up and do something, anything to get her mind of it.
It was still too early to actually head down to the quidditch pitch, since it was still dark outside and she doubted it was allowed to leave the castle at three in the morning. So, as not to wake Mary or Lily, Marlene had taken herself down to the common room and sat sideways in a chair in front of the fire, already wearing her flying kit. She had gnawed her nails down to brittle stumps and drew blood as she chomped down even further on them. She didn`t remember having ever been this nervous, not even during exams. Probably because this was something she actually cared about. Something she was doing out of free will. However, now she was starting to doubt why she was doing it in the first place.
As she stared into the fire, the embers glowing and reflecting in her eyes, she took a strand of hair and started biting down on it. Her brother had sent her an owl yesterday, whishing her the best of luck, telling her she could do it and he believed in her. Marlene didn`t doubt her abilities, she had been training endlessly, until her muscles gave out. Yet, there was this nagging little voice at the back of her mind that told her that everybody else would be better anyway and she shouldn`t even try. She was only a second year after all, and a girl at that, which everybody seemed to be constantly reminding her of. Why couldn`t she be a burly big bloke with muscles like cannonballs. That would solve a lot of problems.
`Oi, McKinnon!` Marlene was rudely pulled away from her ponderings by someone coming up behind her.
Bleary eyed and her hair still in her mouth, she turned around to see James and Sirius standing behind her, both in their flying kits. Quickly, she spat her hair out of her mouth.
`Do you want to go down to the Great Hall?` James asked, his eyes still puffy from sleep. `Get some breakfast.`
Marlene nodded and hummed something in approval.
James and Sirius kept chatting animatedly all the way down to the Great Hall. Though James did try to include her in their conversation, Marlene felt unable to talk, for she had the feeling that if she opened her mouth for too long, she might actually throw up.
The long wooden tables were filled with aspiring quidditch players, all groggy and some looking more nervous than others. The three of them took a seat at the far end of the Gryffindor table. If Mary would see her now, having breakfast with both Potter and Black, she would no doubt loose her marbles. Ever since Marlene and Mary had decided to fancy the two boys, Mary had almost been unable to talk about anything else. She kept bursting down into hysterical fits of giggles anytime Sirius was near. Marlene didn`t really understand why and she found it to be highly annoying. Surely, she had decided she fancied James, but that didn`t mean she acted like a complete arse around him.
Sometimes it worried her a bit, that she didn`t feel the same way Mary seemed to be feeling. There were none of those butterflies or nerves that Mary spoke of. James was still just James, and Marlene honestly couldn`t care less about him. The only butterflies or nerves she felt, were from the idea that in an hour she was supposed to show-off her beating skills.
While James and Sirius were scoffing down their porridge, Marlene was almost unable to get a bite in. She kept getting waves of nausea and she`d rather eat her nails, than the gloopy mess in front of her.
Finally, everybody started heading off towards the quidditch pitch and Marlene followed, her feet feeling like they were made of lead. It was dire cold outside, the Hogwarts grounds covered in a thick veil of mist. Marlene was barely able to see a foot in front of her and she hoped it wouldn`t mess with her being able to see the bludgers coming her way.
All of the aspiring quidditch players were meant to wait in front of the squat stone building. Marlene stared at the thick rain soaked grass and pulled her shoulders up to her ears, trying to preserve some of her body heat.
`For what position are you trying out?`
Marlene looked up to see a burly fifth year towering over her and smiling mockingly.
`Beater.` she replied, not looking him in the eye, but gazing past him through the mist.
The boy snorted and looked her up and down, `Well, good luck with that.` he wrung his hands before extending one to her. `May the best man, oh sorry, or woman, win.` he chuckled again.
Keeping her hands thrust deeply into her pockets, Marlene glared up at him and decided not to shake his hand.
In the changing rooms she went straight to the toilets and locked herself in a cubicle. Luckily, she had already changed into her flying kit, so she could permit herself these spare minutes. Trembling and already feeling the bile rise up in her throat, she crouched down on the tiled floor of the stall and bent over the toilet bowl. She hurled until she no longer felt like she had any intestines at all.
There was a soft knock on the door. `McKinnon?`
Marlene wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper.
`Are you ok?` she now could recognise James` voice.
Slowly Marlene stood up and unlocked the door, stepping out of the stall, keeping her face down so he wouldn`t be able to see she had been crying as well.
`Erm,` James faltered. `I saw you going in here and then I heard- Well, I just wanted to make sure you`re ok. That`s all.` He really sounded earnest.
`Thanks. I`m fine.` Marlene answered, washing her hands in the sink.
`You sure?` the boy asked, pushing his spectacles further up his nose. `You didn`t sound ok.`
Marlene shrugged her shoulders.
`Nervous?` James asked.
Marlene bit her nails and nodded. She felt like she would never be able to get the position if she was to go out against both Sirius and that fifth year.
`Me too.` James said, staring at his feet. Marlene hadn`t expected that of the boy, he always seemed so incredibly overconfident in himself.
`Let me tell you something,` James grinned and leaned in closer. `I have seen that fifth year fly and you`re miles better than him. Or Sirius for that matter, but don`t tell him, he`d kill me if he found out I`d said that to you. There is no way you aren`t going to get on the team.`
Marlene grinned, `Thanks.`
`Now, let`s get out there.` James already turned around to get to the pitch.
`Aye.` Marlene wiped her hands on her robes and followed him, feeling much better than she had before.
***
Lily had put her alarm for half four so she would be able to see Marlene go out for the quidditch team. With all her best efforts, she had tried to drag Mary out of her cot to accompany her down to the pitch. But alas, Mary had just pulled her duvet further over her head and threatened to hex Lily if she wouldn`t shut the bed curtains again real quick.
It was coming up the end of October and it was bitter cold outside. Lily had clothed herself thickly in a scarf, hat and gloves, still she felt like she might freeze to death. The cold was fine, as long as she was inside, huddled up in a blanket in front of a blazing fire with a giant cup of tea. This was not her ideal idea of spending a Saturday morning, however, she knew how much it would mean to Marlene. She had heard her friend drudge in her bed for the entire night and she hoped Marlene wouldn`t be absolutely knackered.
Clambering up the steps of the quidditch stands, she carefully tried to find her footing in the mist. Looming out in front of her she spotted Remus and Peter. Peter was scowling and evidently not amused at having to sit in the cold at this hour. She was actually surprised to see that Peter wasn`t trying out for the team.
`Oh, hello, Remus.` she said as she neared them. `Hi Peter.`
`Morning.` Remus nodded back.
After she and Remus had started working together on their `pleasant dream` potion, the boy actually had started being genuinely nice to her.
``Lo, Lily.` Peter yawned, his head propped up on his elbows.
She went to sit next to the two boys and pulled her hat a little further over her ears, protecting them from the wind.
`Chilly isn`t it!` she said, trying to lift their spirits. `Here to watch the quidditch trials?` Lily immediately felt annoyed at herself for having asked the question. Obviously they were here for the trials, what else was there to do at five in the morning at the pitch?
`Yup.` Remus answered, nodding, not really committing to the conversation.
`Should have known James would be having a go.` Lily said. It was rather obvious that Potter`s biggest passion in life was quidditch, since he wouldn`t shut up about it.
`Sirius, too.` Remus replied.
`Well, never one without the other.` Lily said pointedly and raised her eyebrows. Potter and Black seemed to come in the same package. They should have a stamp on their forehead saying, not sold separately.
Lily squinted at the misty pitch, trying to locate Marlene between the other students. It wasn`t all that hard because she was by far the smallest and her pale blond ponytail was being gripped by the wind.
`Who are you watching?` Peter suddenly asked.
`Marlene!` Lily replied proudly and pointed at the far end of the pitch. `She`s going out for beater.` It felt so good to say that her friend was going out for beater, that would teach those silly boys.
`That`s the position, Siri-` Peter began, but Remus kicked him and the blond boy stopped talking upon impact.
Looking from the one to the other Lily raised her eyebrows, bemused. Clearly, they thought that if Lily knew Marlene was going out for the same position as Sirius, she would get scared her friend might not make the team. On the contrary, Lily felt incredibly certain that Marlene would make the team, there was just no other way.
Still, she opted to change the subject of the conversation, `Remus, can you check on the `pleasant dream` potion tonight? I`m really behind on my astrology and I wanted to talk to Professor Astor.` she thus said.
The corner of Remus mouth lifted and he leaned forward on his elbows, `Can`t.` he replied. `We`ve got detention.`
`Oh.` Lily said, feeling annoyed. She really needed to go over her astronomy work. `What for?` She didn`t remember a professor handing them a detention that week.
`Levitating all of the tables and chairs in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.` Peter replied.
Lily lifted her eyebrows, feeling surprised, `Really? I didn`t hear about that.` She surely would have heard about that. The marauders weren`t very keen on keeping their conundrums to themselves.
`We haven`t done it yet.` Remus replied. `We`re going to do it later while everyone`s at lunch. But I expect they`ll know it`s us and we`ll get detention anyway.`
Lily rolled her eyes and tutted loudly. The sheer amateurism of these boys. She, Lily and Marlene had managed to do that last year already, without getting caught.
`What did I tell you about getting caught, Lupin.` she said teasingly and cocked an eyebrow.
Remus shrugged and flashed her a small smile. Lily felt a mix of respect for his dedication and annoyance for having to check on the potion herself now.
She diverted her gaze back to the pitch, where the quidditch try-outs were now really starting. It was hard to see what was actually going on though the thick veil of mist. First, it were the would-be chasers who got to show-off their skills, James was amongst them.
He swerved dangerously over the pitch, throwing quaffle after quaffle through the hoops. When James took a particularly sharp turn, Lily winced, in her mind she could already see him plummeting towards the muddy field. It was clearly unnecessary for him to do all those acrobatics.
`Does he have to show off like that?` she mumbled anxiously. `He`ll get himself killed.`
`He won`t.` Peter said, assured. `I`ve known him since we were five years old and he`s never ever fallen off his broom. Not once.`
Lily had to admit, that was pretty impressive and she watched as James swivelled around in the air like a leaf in the wind. `No wonder he thinks he`s untouchable.` she muttered.
Next, the aspiring beaters got a turn to demonstrate their skills and Lily sat up straighter. Inside her pockets she crossed her fingers for everything to go well.
Next to Sirius and a hefty fifth year Gryffindor, stood Marlene. She looked oddly small and vulnerable next to the two boys and Lily cursed quidditch for being such a brutal sport.
The three of them were each handed a bat and were sent off into the air, accompanied by six bludgers. Lily bit the insides of her cheeks and clenched her fist every time one of those rouge cannonballs came near Marlene. However, just as Lily had expected, Marlene was unstoppable and whacked bludger after bludger out of her way.
`Bloody hell.` Peter yelped. `Didn`t know McKinnon had it in her.`
Lily smiled smugly, feeling incredibly proud of her friend, `Her brother plays for the Cannons.` she explained. `She`s been training with him all summer.`
`Sirius has been too.` Peter replied quickly, trying to safe his friend, who, although apt, was overshadowed by Marlene. `He and James were on it constantly, weren`t they, Remus?` he looked expectantly at his friend.
However, Remus didn`t reply and looked pensive at the pitch beneath them, brow furrowed. Not for long, the beaters were finished and Lily saw Marlene, Sirius and James mount the stands to where they were sitting.
`Here they come!` Lily exclaimed, standing up and running down towards Marlene, careful not to trip.
Marlene had the biggest grin on her face Lily might have ever seen on her. `I got in!` she said, a tone of disbelieve in her voice.
Lily flung her arms around Marlene, firmly squeezing her, although her flying kit was damp from the mist.
Evidently, James had also gotten his way, as he looked very pleased with himself. Sirius looked like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice cold water over him and his entire face was downturned.
`Yeah, well done, McKinnon.` Sirius said, not looking at Marlene.
`Thanks…er…you were really good too Sirius.` Marlene stuttered, at which Sirius only grunted. Lily thought this was rather harsh. Marlene had earned her spot on the team fair and square.
James shot them both an apologetic smile, before extending his hand to Marlene.
`See you next week for practice?`
Marlene shook his hand.` Yeah, great!` she smiled widely. `See you Potter!`
Lily took Marlene by her arm and pulled her away from the boys, walking back over the grounds towards the castle.
`I still can`t believe it.` Marlene exhaled, blinking her eyes as if she was trying to wake herself up.
`Well, believe it missy,` Lily grinned and squeezed her shoulder. `Now I can brag to everybody I`m rooming with a real quidditch player.`
Marlene turned a scarlet red and the two of them linked arms as they trotted on.
***
A bird had settled itself on the sill outside the dorm window and was pecking at the inside of its wing. It was a little round grey thing with a white belly and tiny claws. Its head almost disappearing in its feathers, making it nothing more but a little ball.
Mary had taken her duvet off her bed and had sat herself down in the window sill, the downy bedcoverings wrapped around her. She gazed at Cat clawing at the glass windowpane, the animal unable to understand why it couldn`t reach the bird.
Resting her cheek against the cold glass, Mary gazed out over the Hogwarts grounds, the lake in the distance, water covered in plumes of morning mist. She had only just woken up. That was if she didn`t count Lily`s alarm waking her up in the middle of the bloody night. The only thing she remembered was saying something about hexing Lily, but after that, she had drifted back off to sleep. Mary wasn`t one to wake up early, unless she really needed to.
Of course, she had wanted to support Marlene at the quidditch try-outs. But, nobody could have gotten her out to that horrid windy quidditch pitch. She did however feel slightly guilty, she knew how much it meant for her friend. Mary hoped dearly that Marlene would hold it against her.
Mary wriggled her feet under her duvet, trying to keep the blood flowing, she was not a fan of the cold. It made her feel cranky and gloomy.
`Ow!` she yelped as Cat put its nails into her foot, mistaking it for some moving creature underneath the bedcoverings.
Then she sat up straighter as two people walking over the lawn caught her eye, one with a long pale blonde ponytail and the other with a bush of red curls popping out from underneath a knitted hat. Marlene and Lily had linked arms, but from where Mary was sitting, it was too far away to see if they were happy or not with the outcome of the try-outs.
A little behind them Mary saw a little group of boys and her stomach began to feel all fluttery as she noticed Sirius between them.
Not more than a few minutes later, the door flew open and Lily and Marlene stumbled in, bringing the cold with them.
`And?!` Mary asked impatiently.
`I got in!` Marlene exclaimed.
`Oh my god!` Mary yelped, sprang up and ran towards her friend.
Both she and Marlene started jumping up and down, squealing and laughing.
`She got it!` Mary said to Lily, who stood next to them, grinning.
`I know!` Lily replied, her face almost bursting open. `I saw her do it. She was amazing! Truly amazing!` she gushed.
`Oh, stop it.` Marlene said, staring at her feet, blushing deeply.
Mary squealed again and hugged Marlene once more, jumping up and down, circling around the room. Cat miaowing confused and stopping its endeavours of perusing the unreachable bird.
`Aye,` Marlene wriggled herself loose from Mary`s grip. `I need to take a shower, I feel like I`ve got mud all the way up my arse.`
Mary giggled and let go of Marlene, Cat brushing against her leg. Marlene disappeared into their bathroom and Mary heard the water turn on. When she turned around, Lily had already opened up a book and sat cross-legged on her bed, reading. Lily was probably the only person Mary knew who could go from zero to reading in the bat of an eye.
`Oi!` Someone called from down their stairs, muffled through the door. `Oi, McKinnon!`
Mary shot a glance at Lily, but she was either pretending not to hear, or too absorbed in her book. So, Mary opened the door herself and took a stance at the top of their staircase.
`What?` she asked, looking down at James, who stood, still in his flying kit, at the bottom of the stairs.
`You`re not McKinnon.` James said, rubbing underneath his glasses.
`Well done.` Mary said mockingly, jutting her hip out and perching her hand on it.
`Is she there?` James asked.
Mary shook her head. `Can I take a message?`
`Well erm,` James faltered. `There`s a party in the common room tonight. For the quidditch team. Can you tell her that?`
`Am I allowed to come?` Mary batted her eyelashes. It just appeared to her that this would be a perfect opportunity to meet Sirius in a situation that wasn`t solely school related.
`Are you bringing Evans?` James asked and Mary could have sworn she saw him turn red.
`Sure.` she shrugged her shoulders. `I`ll bring her.`
James grinned and pushed his spectacles back up his nose. `Ok, brilliant. Yeah, you can come. I think the whole of Gryffindor can come anyway.`
Mary nodded satisfied. `I`ll get the message to Marlene.`
She spun around and walked back to their room, a swing in her step.
When Marlene was done showering, Mary broke the news to her. At first Marlene didn`t appear to be all that excited to have to go to a party. But, after a little bit of coaxing from Mary, it was Lily who pulled her over the line by saying she too wouldn`t mind a party.
After dinner that evening, the three of them retired to their dorm to get themselves ready for the party. Mary felt giddy with excitement and every time she thought about seeing Sirius her heart started to pound in her chest.
`You can borrow one of my dresses.` Mary called over her shoulder as she rummaging in her trunk, looking for a skirt.
`I am not wearing a dress.` Marlene replied, sounding appalled.
`Oh, come on.` Mary pleaded. `You`re so pretty. A dress would look good on you.` She pulled out a floral number and held it up.
`Oh-` Marlene faltered and when Mary looked at her, she had a feint blush on her cheeks. But she seemed to regroup herself. `No. No way you`re getting me in a dress.`
`Marlene.` Mary whined.
`Mary!`
Thrusting the dress in Marlene`s face she droned, `But it`s so pretty.`
`It`s quidditch! Not a beauty contest!`
Marlene sighed exasperated and started to run away from Mary, Lily looking confused at the commotion.
`Why do you want to be dressed up that bad anyway?` Marlene asked standing behind her bed, looking at Mary. `Why do you even want to go to this party? It`s not as if you like quidditch.`
Mary`s mouth fell open and she quickly closed it again. `I do. I do like quidditch.`
`You do not!` Marlene spat. `Where were you at five this morning, when I was so nervous for my try-outs I threw up?`
`You threw up?` Mary asked, guiltily looking at her feet. She knew Marlene had been feeling nervous, but she hadn`t known her friend had felt that nervous.
`Please don`t tell me the only reason you want to go to that party is because you want to giggle over Sirius all night? Whom, by the way, I beat today!` Marlene spat.
Mary shuffled her feet nervously and opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say. Marlene never lashed out like this.
`It is!` Marlene fumed. `I can`t believe you! Can you for one bloody minute not be completely obsessed with that bloody boy and be happy for me?`
`I am happy for you!` Mary cried.
`Well, then you have a really weird way of showing it.` Marlene bit and disappeared into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Lily shot Mary an apologetic look, but it also didn`t seem like she was going to side with her. Mary could feel she had crossed a line with her Sirius obsession.
Gently, Mary knocked on the bathroom door. `Marlene?`
There didn`t come an answer from inside the bathroom and Mary swallowed, she hated that she had made Marlene upset. She had thought that Marlene had wanted to impress James as well tonight. `Marlene. Look, I`m really sorry. Can you come out? I know how important today was for you and- Well, I blew it.`
There was a shuffling of feet and then a clicking of the lock, before the bathroom door opened and Marlene appeared in the doorway, face blotchy and red.
`I`m sorry, ok?` Mary said softly. `We can do whatever you want tonight. We don`t need to go to the party.`
Marlene shrugged her shoulders and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
`No, we can go to the party.` she replied, sniffing.
`Are you sure?` Mary asked uncertain.
`Aye,` Marlene shrugged her shoulders. `I am the new beater of Gryffindor after all.` The corners of her mouth twitching into a smirk.
`That`s my girl.` Mary hugged Marlene and she grinned.
`Only,` Marlene put up a finger. `No dresses.`
`No dresses.`
///