The Other Malfoy {Marauders Era}

Quidditch Tryouts

     As James and Sirius followed Aquila, the captain had led her to the others who were going to try out as well.

     "Okay, everyone! Chasers, go with Potter! Beaters with Nixon! Keepers with Stewart, and Seekers with Black!" The captain commanded, and everyone went to their respective spots, except Aquila. She remained standing there- that is until Sirius dragged her to the people trying out for the Keeper position.

     "Keeper, Sirius? Really?" Aquila questioned the boy. Sirius simply shrugged.

     "Yeah, a Keeper. When we did those flying lessons in first year you dodged everything like a pro, and I have no doubt you'll be amazing." Sirius encouraged. Aquila wasn't so sure but went along with it anyway.

     "Because I was terrified! And this is a terrible idea!" She said under her breath. Sirius hit her arm, and she laughed.

     "Shut it! When have I ever done that turned out terribly?" Sirius asked, and Aquila opened her mouth to answer but he stopped her with a wave of his hand. "Nevermind, don't answer that." Aquila smiled and went to join the others.

     "Everyone shut up! Listen here! I'm Clara Stewart, the Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, though this year I'm not playing, so I'm here to see if there are any people worth letting on! So, on that happy note, grab a broom and meet me by the eastern side of the field!" Clara said, leaving them to get brooms. Aquila, the only girl trying out, glared at James as she passed him and the people he was teaching, causing them to laugh. Aquila was the first one to get a broom and met Clara up in the air on the eastern side, just like she said.

     "Underwood, right?" The older girl asked. Aquila nodded. "I've heard about you... you're the transfer student from first year, yeah?"

     "Yeah," Aquila replied, slightly anxious. She didn't get nervous easily. She'd faced Slughorn's Christmas parties several times, faced McGonagall's wrath after one of the boy's pranks went wrong, and even survived three years with James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus. Quidditch should be easy, but here she was, freaking out about what she'll do. Before she was ready, Clara called everyone in front of the scoring posts.

     "Listen up, everybody! This is what you'll be protecting as Keeper. Make two lines on each side of the goal! Go go go!" She shouted, and they all scrambled to get there, all except Aquila. She was already on the left side, so she didn't move, merely watched as the others flew around, trying to make the lines even. "Aquila, you get the goal first!" Clara exclaimed, and Aquila put a brave face on and flew into the goal. She took a deep breath and waited for the first shot.

     "You ready, Underwood?" Briccan, one of Malfoy's goons, said with a cocky grin. Aquila rolled her eyes and watched his every move, refusing to answer him.

     "Simmons shut up and play! Underwood, let's see your skills!" Clara ordered, and Briccan dropped his grin and replaced it with a sly smirk. Aquila was instantly on edge. Whenever he did that it meant that he was planning something. Usually, those things were ways to get to Aquila, but they all failed because James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had her back and stopped the schemes before they could get to her.

     "Aye aye, cap'n," Briccan said and shot the quaffle. Aquila easily blocked it, but she wasn't ready for when two bludgers came out of nowhere, one going for her arm- which she easily intercepted and threw it away, but the other hit the side of her head, making her fall off her broom. This is my chance to prove myself to Malfoy, Briccan thought as he watched her fall with a smirk.

     "AQUILA!" Sirius yelled as he saw her plummet towards the ground, with Briccan Simmons smirking above her. Turning towards the kids he was supposed to be helping, he motioned for James to come over. "James, watch them," he ordered, and with that, he promptly got on his broom and caught Aquila before she hit the ground. Sirius glared at him and gently put Aquila on the ground. She groaned and clutched her head, which Sirius imagined hurt quite a bit.

     "WHAT THE HELL, SIMMONS? WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?" Clara yelled as she dragged Briccan to the captain. "Hey Lyons, I have a newbie for you to yell at!" At that, Briccan gulped- Lyons was infamous for his temper.

     "What the bloody hell happened?!" He asked the girl, and she glared and gestured to the terrified boy who she had by the collar of his robes.

     "I'm not terribly certain, but he sent two bludgers at Underwood, causing her to get hit in the head and fall off her broom!" She responded. To say Clara was furious is an understatement- she was livid. She'd been playing Quidditch a long time, but never had she seen someone deliberately go after someone on their own team- unless that someone was a Slytherin, but never someone on the same team!

     "Is this true, Simmons?" Lyons said, eerily calm. Briccan gulped again- Lyons was about to explode. Usually, it was funny. But it was aimed at him this time, and he was not looking forward to it.

     "Y-yes..." he stuttered, and Lyons' face got red super quick. Briccan whimpered- it was going to be a long day.

     "MADAM POMFREY!" Sirius yelled as he went as fast as he could to the Hospital Wing, carrying Aquila in his arms. The woman came out of her office to reprimand him, but took one look at Aquila and got to work.

     "Set her on a bed. Poor girl... what happened?" She asked as she went to get bandages.

     "I dunno. She was at Quidditch tryouts and bludgers hit her- one she caught and threw away, but the other hit her in the head." Sirius exclaimed, then clenched his fist. If he ever met Briccan again, he couldn't guarantee he would come out unscathed. Madam Pomfrey tsked while shaking her head.

     "Quidditch... I told Dumbledore to choose a less dangerous sport. Too late now, I guess. Mr. Black, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, please. I'll call you when she's stable." Madam Pomfrey dismissed, but Sirius went to argue. "No buts, Mr. Black." She said sternly but softened when she saw his face. "I'm sure she'll be okay, dear. Just please go relax. I'll call you when she's stable, as I said before. Now, go to dinner. I'm sure you're hungry." And with that, she walked away and went to Aquila's side to care for her. Against Sirius' better judgment, he went to dinner, but he could only think of one thing: Aquila.