September First

Quidditch, Party and the Library

She awoke with nerves knotting her stomach and Sirius Black's hair tickling her face.

"Ugh," she groaned sleepily as she shoved his back "How am I in your bed again?"

He was scowling as he rolled over, his eyes heavy and a yawn threatening to break across his face at any moment "You were in here talking strategy with Captain Shit-Head over there," he grumbled, a tired Sirius was never a pleasant Sirius "Before I could stop you you'd commandeered my bed."

"So why are you here?"

He looked exasperated as she glared at him folding her arms over her chest "Because it's my bed!"

"Will you two shut up?!"

Daxia jumped, noticing the curtains had been pulled around the four poster bed for the first time since she had woken. Deciding not to question the motives behind it she poked her head out to see James Potter waiting with a stern look on the other side "Hey skip!" she exclaimed her greeting as she attempted to ignore the fact that behind her a – shirtless – Sirius was shuffling around in an attempt to get comfortable "Heading down to breakfast?"

"Yes," James replied plainly, clearly in full Quidditch captain mode "Joining me?"

She knew the right answer was yes. James liked his players to eat before the match, to meet at the Gryffindor table to go over what they had discussed in their training. He liked to see with his own eyes that they were all prepared, that they weren't nervy or over thinking and that they were topping up their strength with a good breakfast.

She knew the right answer was yes but all she wanted to do was say no.

"Fine," she huffed practically falling from Sirius's bed with a loud thump "Just let me shower."

"No time!!" James practically shouted, groans from the three other beds complaining at his loudness following shortly after "I left you sleeping long enough! Go and change and meet me in the common room in ten minutes!"

Ignoring Sirius laughing at her misfortune she stomped from the room, cursing James Potter and his captaincy with every swear word she could think of as she slammed into the girls' dorm.

"And where were youuu last night?" Adiya, fully dressed in her Quidditch top and black trousers and looking perfect, grinned as soon as the dishevelled looking Daxia came into her line of vision.

"No time," Daxia grumbled, imitating James's tone and amusing Adiya no end. She dressed as quickly as she could, knowing her padding and robes were in the changing room along with Adiya and the rest of the team's she dug out her crumpled looking Gryffindor shirt. Also knowing James would be unimpressed with her untidy look as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail she threw on the Quidditch jumper she had stolen from Sirius.

The two girls left the dorm – and their sleeping dorm-mates – together. Both nervous as they walked, the first Quidditch game of the season was always the tensest, especially with a brand new team around them.

A brand new team who were being herded into a group by James when they reached the common room.

They travelled down to The Great Hall together. The silence following them was heavy and nervy as they sat at the Gryffindor table; James ordering the newbies to eat while Daxia and Adiya went with it immediately. Piling their plates no matter how much they just wanted to ignore the food set out before them.

"That's my jumper!"

James had glared up to the approaching Sirius leading Peter, Remus and Benji (Lily and Mary clearly still either sleeping or getting ready) over to where the team was seated almost in a huddle.