Scars

Chapter Eight-Quidditch

"This isn't going to go well." I murmur to Katrina Vance, one of the chasers on the Gryffindor quidditch team. We've taken to helping one another put on our quidditch gear and she's tying my armor on now for our first practice.

"What? Why not? We're all a bit rusty, don't worry about that." She assures me and pauses to put her dark blonde dreads in a tighter ponytail before moving on to my other arm.

"No, it's not that. Beaters have to work in tandem. Like two arms attached to the same body, the team, they have to trust one another."

"Right, yes, so?" She asks as I watch Sirius and the other boys pass by the women's dressing room.

"So, Sirius is pissed as hell at me. Along with James. Who knows if either of them will trust me to have their backs?" I muse and she cinches up the last tie tight before huffing and looking at me with ice blue eyes.

"Well then. Prove that they can depend on you and trust you." She tells me firmly and slaps her hands on my armored shoulders. I take a breath and nod, jogging out alongside her and boarding my broom. I've got my new quidditch gear on from the Potters and sent them a letter with a picture that Lily took of me. I hope it brings them happiness knowing they didn't waste them on me. Although, perhaps giving them to me in the first place was a waste.

My bat is heavy and comfortable in my hand as I fly out and it feels good to be on the pitch again. We all make a donut in the middle of the pitch as the captain lays out the plan. "Alright, let's not pretend to forget how this goes. Drill time. Everyone go hard or else you'll probably end up in a body bag. Let's go!" She shouts and we all break as we head to our respective sides of the field for a scrimmage game. Sirius and I fly to the circle and we have a few moments before the quaffle is tossed since Andre is having trouble with his broom. Sirius barely glances at me.

"Look, I know you're pissed, but we are part of a team and if we're going to win, we have to trust each other. I still have your back." I tell him and I know James hears next to him.

"Is that all you ever have to say to me now? Let's 'just get through this' all over again?" Sirius barks and I grit my teeth together.

"Not sure if I can say anything else without you biting my head off." I snap back and his mouth opens to respond, but just then the captain finally wrangles Andre onto his broom and they join us.

"Keep it together people. Three, two, one, GO!" She shouts and we all break as the quaffle is thrown and the bludgers are released. People speed around the pitch with big smiles on their faces at being back and being free again. All except Sirius and I, it seems. My eyes are on him most of the time and when they aren't, they're scanning the field to see if I'm needed. His eyes barely turn my way, so every time I need him, I have to shout across the whole field. Despite knowing he's hurt and mad, I find I can't keep my temper from flaring.

"This isn't a challenge on who can hit the bludger harder!" I yell at him before smashing my bat against the ball to shoot it back to him.

"If you can't handle it, then duck out! Isn't that what you do anyway?" This time I'm more than happy to slam the bludger back at him even though I nearly pull my shoulder out of the socket in the process.

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I don't know what I'm talking about?"

"Yes, you! You ignorant, stubborn, ass!" Its rapid-fire hitting now as we've grown closer during our argument so the bludger has a smaller distance to travel and my arm is aching from the effort.

"You have no right to call me anything!"

"I'm stating facts, Mr. high and mighty!"

"Enough!" Captain Connelly swoops in and slams the bludger down into the ground beneath us. Her eyes are pure fire as she looks between us and at least Sirius has the decency to look abashed. "You two are going to fix whatever the fuck is going on between you before next practice or you'll be on the bench next game! We won't win a game like this and neither of you are likely to even survive a game either!" She sighs and presses her fingers against her temple. "You're both dismissed."