The Marauders: Year Four

Personality Traits

Personality Traits

Two notices went up that week on the board in the Common Room. One was announcing the Gryffindor Quidditch team try outs would be held two weeks from that Friday. The second was the date for the first Hogsmeade Weekend of the term - the Saturday following the try-outs. James was ecstatic. "QUIDDITCH! IS! COMING!" he shouted, running about the common room, "Quidditch and me with a brand new broom! I'm going to SLAY THE SLYTHERINS! I'm going to HALT THE HUFFLEPUFFS! I'm going to RUIN THE RAVENCLAWS!" He jumped and punched at the air, then turned, prepared to give Sirius a high-five, only to find Sirius didn't have his palm in the air. "Oi, what's with you not getting into Quidditch. You do remember you're on the team, yeah?" James demanded, punching Sirius's arm.

Sirius looked at Remus and Remus looked down at his trainers. "James, I haven't got my broom," Sirius said.

"Wait, what? What happened to it?" James asked, stopping his celebrations.

"I - I had to sell some of my things to get the tent this summer," Sirius explained, "The tent and Remus and I needed school supplies and his wand... My dad broke his wand, remember? He needed a new one..."

James looked devastated. "You sold your broom?"

Sirius nodded, "Yeah. I didn't have a choice! We needed the money."

"You idiots, why didn't you floo me? I would've got you the money you needed!" James admonished them. "Blimey, we need to get you a broom - and fast - before the season starts. You can't be using one of those cruddy old school brooms, that's for sure."

Sirius cringed, "I know, but -- I - I feel bad, you can't go getting me a broom, I - Maybe it'll be better if I just don't play the team this term."

James looked shellshocked at Sirius. "Not play the team? That's ... that's absurd..." Lily was walking by and James quickly caught her arm. "Evans. Tell Sirius here that he can't quit the Quidditch team."

Lily looked surprised, "Why are you quitting the Quidditch team?" she asked.

"Because I --"

"He sold his broom!" James interrupted.

Lily shrugged, "Well, easily solved, you can use my broom - I already did quit the team."

"WHAT?" James demanded and he spun her 'round to look at him, "Whaddayameanyaquittheteam?" he said all in one panicked word.

Lily pulled her arm away from James's grasp, "Exactly what I said. I quit the team."

Sirius was gaping at her. "Why would you do that for? You're brilliant."

Lily shrugged, "I just... I dunno, I'm getting older now and... it just... doesn't sound like fun anymore, getting all dirty and the knots in my hair were just awful to work out, even when I braided it and -- don't look at me like that, Potter, I'm a girl, these are legitimate reasons to quit a sport for a girl."

James looked gutted. "But... but Evans..."

"Me not playing affects you in no way, Potter," she said. "In fact, it helps you because, as I said, Sirius is welcome to use my broom for Quidditch, as I won't be needing it."

"Doesn't affect me? Evans, it dampens the quality of the view quite a lot, actually. Whatever will I stare at when I'm bored?"

"Evans in the stands, obviously," Sirius muttered.

Lily shrugged, "Already done, Potter, you'll be needing to deal with it." She walked off.

James stared after her, then turned about, "Bloody hell, she's broken my heart. Shoved a stake in there and just..." he mimed twisting the stake about against his chest, then threw himself to the floor and fake writhed to death.