The Ice Queen [s.b.]

Quidditch Quitter - 65

November 20th.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Annie, I fucking did it! I'm not even shitting you!" Ginger screams as she sprints inside their dorm.

Groggily, having been sleeping (a true miracle, honestly), Anna blinks awake, "What?"

"I'm the new announcer! For quidditch. Oh, lordy, I can't wait."

"Oh, hell yes," Anna beams. "We'll finally have the announcer on our side. And I'm captain. James Potter can suck it!"

"What'd he do now?" Lily asks in a bored tone, popping into the room.

Ginger squeals and hugs the redhead, "Nothing! I'm announcer!"

"Good for you!" Lily responds happily. Skeptically, she adds, "Are you actually going to be able to censor yourself?"

The shrug Ginger gives and the smirk that flits across Anna's face can only be described using one word: evil.

But, like, in a good way.

Later that evening, the entire group is in the Gryffindor common room, talking and laughing.

When the noise finally dwindles out, Anna clears her throat.

"I need to talk to you all about something," she announces, fidgeting with her hands in a way only the trained eye would catch. All eyes turn to her. "I'm stopping the D.A. If you guys would like to continue, that's alright, but I won't be participating."

"What?" is the general consensus once they snap out of their confusion.

"We're about to go into the world. I can't put the names of first years wanting to do a good thing out there if any of us get captured," Anna says simply. The words sound prepared. "Therefore, I will no longer participate. It doesn't even feel like enough anymore. Just sending people marching to their deaths. I'm done with it. Sorry. And shit, I'm late. I'll see you later, Ginger. Goodnight, everyone else."

"That was weird, right?" Remus asks everyone when she leaves.

Ginger, half-asleep, mumbles, "Hella."

Anna goes to Dumbledore's office. Five minutes later, she emerges once more, looking teary-eyed.

She hums to herself.

The tune is Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Were Made For Walkin'. Of course, this is an obvious metaphor. Though the way it's interpreted is not set in stone.

Next, she goes to the Come and Go room to meet Regulus Black, the prince of Slytherin.

"You're really doing this?" Regulus says grimly.

Anna shrugs, "I ended my part of the D.A. already. Now for the hard part."

"It's not that easy," he warns.

Slowly, she nods, "Yeah. That's why it's called the hard part. Idiot."

"I'm going to let that slide because you're obviously going through a moral crisis."

"I'll meet you tomorrow night."

Reggie nods, "Eight o'clock. Same place. See you then."

November 27th.

Over the past week, Anna and Regulus had met in the same place, same time every night. A plan is formed.

December 1st.

"Hey, folks, welcome back to quidditch," Ginger begins. The crowd roars. "To those of y'all who don't know me, I'm the one and only Ginger Sullivan. I'm a Slytherin, a Libra, and a seventh year. The perfect mix, I swear to God. Anyway, to kick off the season, we have Gryffindor and Slytherin playing. Slytherin is entering the field! The team captain is my best friend and darling roommate, don't tell her I said that, is the one and only Annalee 'The Shi-" McGonagall covers the mic, leaving the students to snicker. Ginger clears her throat, "The one and only Annalee Fawley. She's a keeper. Sirius Black would agree. Sh...oot, was I not supposed to say that? For those of you just now tuning in, Ms. Fawley is giving me a dirty look for unveiling her not-so-private life. To be fair, we all see her and Sirius in the Great Hall. It's sickening. Oh, look! Now she's giving me the finger!