Chasing Dreams (A Harry Potter Marauder fanfiction)

Biscuits

I ran flat out down the hall, heading for the office I knew all too well due to being in there so much. Knocking once, I heard the familiar voice of Minerva McGonagal tell me to enter. My eyes on the floor, I pushed open the door to her office. "Turner." She greeted, an amused smile on her lips. "Hello Professor." I smiled warmly at her. She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue. Realising suddenly that I'm incredibly stupid and made a big mistake coming down here, I turn to leave, spinning on my heel. "Miss. Turner!" She calls, with almost a sigh. I turn around to face her, wishing I could leave. "Have a biscuit." She says, holding out a tartan tin to me. "Oh.. Um, I'm actually not hungry Professor, but thank you all the same." I smile awkwardly. "It wasn't a question." She tells me firmly. "Have a biscuit." She repeats. Nodding, I take a biscuit. Without looking up from her papers, McGonagal puts down the tin and gestures for me to sit opposite her. "Well?" She asks, looking up. "Pardon?" I ask, frowning slightly. "You obviously came down here for a reason, Turner." She tells me, the small smile still playing on her lips. "Yeah.. I just.." I trail off without realising. "You just wanted to ask me was it me who gave you the book?" She asks me. My eyes widen and I nod, taking a bite of the crumbly biscuit. "And was it me that stuck in the few pages about how to cast a good patronus?" She says, eyebrows raised. "Yeah.." I tell her, wondering how she knew. "Yes, it was." She says softly, intertwining her hands in front of her face in a way that is exactly like moths Headmaster. "But.. Why?" I ask her. "Shouldn't we figure these things out on our own?" I ask quietly. "We should." She says simply. "But I am head of Gryffindor, and I think that a little help from the head of house can never go astray. I want you to do well just as much as you do." She tells me, and this is the first time I think I've seen a different side to her. Offering me the tin of biscuits again, which I accept gratefully, she smiles and stands. "And why I want my quidditch team to do well." Again, my eyes widen. "How did you know about that?" I ask her. James hasn't put up anywhere that I was the new chaser. Only me, him, Sirius and Rob knew. "The Deputy Headmistress makes it her business to know these things." She says simply. And with that, she waves her hand, causing the door to slam open, and I take that as my invitation to leave. Just as I'm at the door, she calls me back one last time. "Oh, and Turner!" I spin to face her again. "Be careful on that broomstick of yours." There's a hint of amused warning in in her voice and she shakes her head slightly. "I will Professor." I grin, closing the door.

On the way back to the common room, the halls have begun to get dark. Tomorrow is the first of February, but the bitter chill of winter is still clinging to everything. Humming to myself, a bad habit, I walk up the stairs. Jumping over the trick step, I lean over the edge of the balcony, looking down at the endless square of stairs, portraits and doorways. "Skye!" A voice calls, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Jared!" I smile. "Hi." "Hi." He says, pulling me into a light hug before releasing me. "How are you?" He asks me. "Good. You?" "Fine, fine. What'r you doing?" Rolling my eyes, I make a helicopter sound with my tongue in my lips. "Boooring." I tell him, drawing out the "o". He looks surprised before he smiles his cheerful grin. "Okay. What else do you want me to ask?" He says. "I don't want to just talk about "how I've been" and things like that. Making awkward small talk has to be one of the most boring, uncomfortable things ever. I want to get to know you properly." I tell him, and even I'm taken aback by how abrupt it was, but I smile nevertheless. I had always wanted to say that to him, to tell him that is making small talk and having the same conversation every day was wearing us out. I had wanted to say it to him for ages, and for some reason, I just had. "Okay." He grins. "Then.. Do you want to go out?" He asks me. "What do you mean?" "I'll take you out to dinner. On.. Valentine's Day." He tells me, half of it a question, the other half a statement. "Um.. Yeah. Why not?" I ask. "Because I'm the year above you, your best friends with my little brother Sam and you barely know me?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah, that's true. Who cares though? See you on Valentine's Day." I tell him, and he nods, then hurries off down the stairs.

"He's a right tosser Skye, you should stay away from him." A voice tells me. I spin around immediately, coming face to face with James and Sirius. Peter stands behind them with Remus, who has his face buried in a book. "Excuse me?" I ask them, eyebrows raised. "Just saying." Sirius shrugs. "Yeah, look what happened with Rob. And we told you he was a tosser." James says, walking along the corridor towards me. I frown and roll my eyes. "I really don't care. Leave me alone." "We're just letting you know! As friends." James says defensively, and I snap suddenly. "We're not friends." I tell him angrily. "Ah, c'mon!" Sirius says with exasperation. "Your not still holding a grudge because of that girl I was dancing with on New Years? Surely?" He asked disbelievingly. "No!" I spit at him. "And that's not why we stopped being friends!" I tell him. "Yeah, yeah. Sure." He says, smirking. I'm resisting the urge to slap him at this stage, and I can feel the bottom of my long hair frosting over with ice. Peter's eyes widen but James and Sirius don't care. "So why aren't we friends any more?" James asks me. "Because! Me and Sirius kept fighting so I said lets take a break and be.. Acquaintances for a bit! Friends just wasn't working for us. And besides, he agreed to it! You didn't have to be immature and take sides, because I certainly wasn't annoyed at any of you! But you did. Your loss." I tell him. Both James and Sirius try to answer, but I cut them off. "And ever since then you two have been behaving like complete asses! Particularly when in working. Do you think it's funny to walk into the bar and act like you own the place? And act like I'm some.. Skivvy you can just call over with a snap of your fingers? I thought you had a bit more repeat for me." I finish all in one breath, my hair well and truly frost by now and my hands shaking with anger. "Skye, relax!" James tells me, like it's no big deal. "No! Make me!" I spit at him angrily. "Why can't we just talk about this?" Sirius asks me. "Because! I've said everything I have to say." I tell them, spinning on my heel. "I haven't!" Sirius calls after me, but I ignore him, running straight up to my room to break something.