- Chapter Thirty-Seven -
"You are cheering for Sherry Opal, the girl you hate."

THE GREAT HALL WAS EMPTY save for the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team. It was a Saturday morning and the seven of them had woken up bright and early to the sky still dark and the clouds still settling around the castle in a large gloom of grey to go and eat their breakfast early and talk tactics for that days match against Hufflepuff; They met in the Common Room and ventured through the halls of Hogwarts together, Michelle and Sherry chatting about their respective boyfriends whilst the others made their own conversation.

Only when Jacob Sawyers walked forward and threw his arm around Michelle's shoulders did Sherry realise exactly who Michelle was talking about, her eyes widened at the sight of the Ravenclaw Team's second heartthrob now suddenly in front of them and it all clicked in her head.

She had smirked and let Amber lead her away from the new couple and then those were the two walking ahead whilst the rest of them milled behind. Sherry laughed at Oliver desperately trying to impress Georgia Robbins who had simply just walked into the Great Hall and left him lagging behind her like a lost puppy.

Since she was flying that day, Sherry stuck with one glass of orange juice and left her breakfast at that. If she were to take a rough tumble, the last thing she would want was to throw up her stomach in the middle of the pitch and stink of vomit for ages. Louis, as a Seeker who would possibly be taking more tumbles, took the same initiative. The rest of the team took bowls of cereal and ate it all until there was only one singular droplet of milk left behind.

"Remember our training guys." Louis leant in the middle, the rest of them huddling their heads in as the Hufflepuff team came into the Great Hall about 10 minutes after them. Oliver gave them a glare before Amber grabbed his cheeks and turned him to the Captain. "Chasers, remember to check and only Hawkhead at the right times. Beaters, remember the backbeats and the dopplebeat defence. Keeper...Sherry, are you sure you're okay to fly?"

"I was in the Hospital Wing for one day, Louis, I'm fine." Sherry said, looking him determinedly in the eyes. Amber gave her a side-glance which Sherry avoided, the girl had surely heard the rustling of Sherry's sheets the night before when she had struggled to get into a comfortable position without her chest hurting.

Remus had been trying to avoid her but she had cornered him the day she got out of the Hospital and put it straight, it was not his fault and she had made the decision to put herself in danger. He had still tried to walk away from her but Sherry had the grip of a mechanical vice so he was pulled right back into her, she had tried to explain that she had not been the one to tell Snape anything.

And then Remus cut her off, he knew who did it and he told her who it was. Sirius Black did not have a good day once she had found out what he had done, she stormed right into Defence Against The Dark Arts, picked up his ink pot and poured it all over his head. The class had gasped, Sirius Black's perfect hair now sopping wet with black ink and an angry Ravenclaw stood above him.

Mrs. Greene wasn't in the classroom yet so she did not see it and consequently did not stop it. No one else did either, everybody watched with their jaws agape as the two angrily spoke.

"What the hell, Opal?" Black had shouted, standing right out of his seat and towering over the blonde who simply put the ink pot down and stared up at him just as angrily. "What the fuck was that for?"

"You know what that was for, Black." Sherry poked a finger at his chest, ink from his hair falling onto his jumper and getting onto her finger as she poked him harshly and he stumbled back slightly. "How dare you. How fucking dare you, he trusted you."

"I didn't mean for-"

"No, you're not talking right now, I am." She cut him off with a sharp scowl and a snappish tone and he shut his mouth, wiping ink from his cheeks and smearing it on his face. The class around them was silent, watching them closely. "5 years of friendship down the drain and for what? A stupid prank that put me in the Hospital and could've put other people in hospital if I hadn't stepped in. Potter could be the one hurt and not me, how would you feel then? Much more guilty then you do now, I bet."

"I do feel guilty!" He snapped at her. "I never should've opened my fucking mouth in the first place so you've just ruined my hair for nothing."

"Not for nothing." Sherry leant back, smiling bitterly as he fumed. "You wanted to act like Snape, I made you look like him. You're welcome."

The class stayed silent whilst she brushed past him, knocking their shoulders but she was careful not to get any ink on her uniform. Potter was sat at their shared desk, watching the encounter but when the classroom buzzed back into small conversations, he kept his eyes on the girl approaching.

He had accused her in the Hospital Wing and afterwards he had been told by Sirius what had really happened. Sherry seemed to not even be bothered to insult him as she sat beside him, taking her stuff out of her bag quietly whilst Sirius sunk back into his chair.

"Look, Sherry, I'm sorry-"

"Don't care." She interrupted and he was about to say something more but Professor Greene had walked through the door and commanded quiet. He promised himself he'd talk to her at the end of the lesson but she had been out of the door before he could even get a word in.

Sherry reckoned he was going to try and talk to her after that days match even though she had done so well at avoiding him, so she had definitely planned to win since if she did, the team would be surrounded by supporters and Potter wouldn't get a chance to catch her; she didn't need or want his apology and he didn't seem to understand that.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Louis asked again, eyebrows raising and even though there was still a stinging pain in her chest, Sherry leaned forward and matched Louis' expression.

"Yes, Captain."

He smiled, about to talk again but a body had slid itself in the space beside Sherry and an arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into the side and paying no mind to her injury whatsoever. She tried not to wince in front of Louis, he'd probably snap her broom in half to prevent her from flying on in the middle of the match.

"There's my girl." Matt squeezed her again and she couldn't help but smile as he placed a kiss on her head. Louis leaned back and exchanged glances with Jacob Sawyers and Michelle Montgomery as he did so. "Ready to beat some Hufflepuffs?"

"Very ready." She smiled, facing him and he leaned forward to peck her lips, Oliver gagging from across them and Sherry lifted her middle finger in his direction whilst her other hand went up to cup her boyfriend's cheek. "You're up early."

"Wanted to wish you good luck." He leant his forehead against hers, murmuring quietly and the team retreated back into their own discussions whilst they talked. His head tilted slightly and then his lips were brushing over her ear. "How about once you win I take you for a walk around the grounds?"

"I'll smell of sweat." She laughed quietly and he kissed her cheek lightly before his mouth returned to her ear, her cheeks began to heat up and she willed it down with another small laugh.

"Well, we can shower first." He whispered and she grinned widely, pulling back to cup both of his cheeks and make his eyes meet hers.

"We?" Sherry laughed, shaking her head disbelievingly and Matt gave a mischievous grin, kissing her lips once more. It was soft and sweet and Sherry liked it but then became acutely aware that they were in the Great Hall so she pulled away again. "I will shower and then we can walk about the grounds, how does that sound?"

"Perfect." He smiled.

"Let's keep the PDA to a minimum, shall we?" Potter's voice rang out and Matt's smile dropped immediately, eyes glancing to the next table along where Potter sat opposite Sirius. Peter and Remus were far at the other end of the table and Sherry frowned slightly at the division.

"Assface." Sherry greeted Potter with a smile before turning around, this is how it always went, they greeted each other with insults and then she avoided him when he was about to apologise. He wanted to blame her with no evidence, fine, he could.

"Penis breath." He greeted her back and Matt glanced in between the two of them, frowning whilst his girlfriend began to grab her Quidditch bag that she had stored under the table for now. "Hey Opal-"

"I'm gonna head down to the pitch." She told the team, standing with Matt standing beside her. He held her waist and pulled her in for a kiss that he was expecting to last longer than it did, she only gave him a small peck, wagged her fingers in a wave and then began to strut out of the hall.

Amber, Georgia and Michelle quickly scurried after her, all finding it easier to go into the changing rooms together so they know everyone was in there and whoever opened the door was not supposed to be there. Sherry ignored the pain in her chest as she walked, she would play this match and she would win no matter how much pain she had to be in.

•*•*•*•*•

The match had begun in its normal way, both teams being introduced to the pitch by Harrison Jordan who was still commentating and made it quite clear that he was not a big fan of Sherry and Matt's relationship, Sherry had laughed it off as she took her position in front of the goalposts but with one look down at the stands, she saw her boyfriend glaring up at the commentators stand before facing the pitch again with a bitter look on his face.

He was one of the many people in the storm of blue dominating some stands on the pitch and on the other side, there was a sea of yellow in which James Potter and Sirius Black were stood dressed to the theme. Again, the Marauders were divided and Sherry spotted Remus and Peter stood in blue on the Ravenclaw Supporter side.

Both stood with Marlene McKinnon and helped her hold the banner she had made for Ravenclaw, Sherry had almost laughed at the comparison of Peter's enthusiasm and then Remus' bored face that quirked into a smile when his friend on the pitch and waved at him.

The support was divided and as Madam Hooch walked out onto the pitch, Sherry tightened her grip on her handle and paid very close attention to the Quaffle as soon as her friends had dived for it and the whistle had been blown, signifying the start of the match.

Every Quaffle that came towards her she blocked and the crowd cheered for her successes, it put a smile on her face as always and her eyes stayed trained to the ball but every now and then she glanced around to see if there were any Bludgers coming her way. If there were, Amber and Oliver would surely bat them away but the two of them could be busy so she kept a close eye out.

One of the Hufflepuff Chasers approached the hoops and attempted to do a smart pass but Sherry blocked it and the crowd cheered wildly, Harrison yelling out his commentary with a lage laugh.

"Mate, we're supporting Hufflepuff not Ravenclaw." Sirius Black told his best friend who had screamed at the point just saved, clapping his hands with great passion. "Plus, it was Opal who just saved that."

"It's still Quidditch, Padfoot." He shrugged, glancing at his friend but his large smile was still on his face as he watched the blue and yellow blurs in the sky zoom past him in a flurry of colour. His hands clapped together a couple more times and he yelled in support again.

"Did you hear me?" Sirius clapped a hand on Potter's shoulder and made them face each other. He shook his friend slightly as if trying to wake him up from some sort of dream. "You are cheering for Sherry Opal, the girl you hate."

Potter hesitated for a moment, opening his mouth to say something and Sirius raised his eyebrows to invite him to speak but James just shook his head with a smile and another shrug. "She's a good player, I cheer for good players."

"Where was that attitude at the tryouts?" Sirius asked, raising another eyebrow but James' attention was on the pitch still, eyebrows furrowed together slightly before they widened and his eyes flared with alarm.

Sirius turned his head just in time to see a Bludger strike Sherry right in the chest and knock her off her balance, the Quaffle she had just caught fell from her hands and the crowd around them gasped as she hung off her broom by one hand, gasping. They couldn't hear her from where they were but it seemed like her mouth had opened in a small yell as she toppled over the edge.

Louis Simmons, who had been flying by the two, swore and zoomed off towards her but the other Seeker seemed to have spotted the Snitch and flew away. Jacob Sawyers stopped Louis from flying to Sherry and pointed up at the Hufflepuff Seeker, Louis looked stubborn but eventually scoffed and flew upwards.

"That was a foul!" James yelled out angrily as the crowd continued to murmur at Sherry's obvious struggle, her face was screwed up in pain as she attempted to tug herself up, it seemed no one on the pitch knew what to do either. The Hufflepuff Captain commanded for them to carry on and the players did so as Harrison Jordan fumbled with the rule book. "Take points off! That was a foul!"

"Jackson's Bludger is confirmed..." Harrison was reading out, flipping through pages hurriedly with a terrified Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick beside him both staring at the blonde dangling from her broom, James unknowingly crossed his fingers but let them fall loose as Jordan's face dropped and he looked up in sorrow. "Legal."

"WHAT?" James yelled, outraged whilst the yellow side of the pitch roared in cheers again and the match commenced, the González twins looking more ferocious than ever as they targeted the Chasers, especially Jackson. "This fucking sucks, that was so unfair! She's hurt!"

"It's just Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff, it doesn't really matter to us-"

"Come on Sherry!" James yelled out, knowing she wouldn't be able to hear him from all the way across the pitch but he felt like encouraging her anyway; His eyes nervously strayed towards the Hufflepuff Chasers that were weaving in and out of the Ravenclaws.

King was flying further up to the goalposts, ready to throw the Quaffle through the hoop, the Seekers were somewhere above them and Oliver González quickly hit a Bludger into Jackson which snapped his broom in half and sent him spiralling. James' mind was in chaos, more than it had ever been in a Quidditch Match but then the sequence turned into slow-motion for his eyes.

Sherry was pulling herself up as best she could and managed to get her other hand on her broom handle but King had swung his arm forward and sent the Quaffle flying, James put his hands to his head at the knowledge that Hufflepuff will score another point and if it wasn't in slow motion to him before, it certainly was now as he watched Sherry swing below her broom for a moment to grab momentum.

He lowered his hands from his head and watched with piqued interest as Sherry gained enough momentum to swing herself around the broom and kick away the Bludger from King, hands still gripped onto the handle of her broom before she let go, everyone gasped, but screamed again as her foot hooked onto the wood and swung her around with the momentum again.

And she was sat back on her broom, smiling shockingly with a wide grin as Louis Simmons flew back from the clouds with the Snitch in hand and Sherry reached a hand out to block the Quaffle that had been thrown by another Chaser just before Louis had returned.

"YES." James screamed, vocal chords hurting as he jumped around and celebrated, grabbed Sirius and shook him before clapping his hands. "YES YES YES! WOO!"

He cupped his hands around his mouth as he yelled for louder effect and the players flew down to the ground, Louis helped Sherry onto the back of his broom and she delicately held onto him as he flew down and she held her own broom in her hand, clearly too fragile to ride her own after her slight fall.

James continued to clap as the teams celebrated, the crowd around them already massive and thriving. Louis and Oliver both helped Sherry up on their shoulders so she was held above the cheering crowd and out of risk from getting hurt. Her smile was wide and bright despite the complication and the bright sun reflected perfectly off of her blonde hair that had been tied back for the match.

And in that moment where James was now clapping slower than ever before and staring down at Sherry Opal and only at Sherry Opal, not at the redhead he had admired for years right below her, he came to realise why exactly he was beginning to enjoy their Friday meetings.

The thought scared him but with a red flush on his cheeks, he welcomed it just for a moment and smiled at the pearly white teeth Sherry Opal was showing in her celebration of victory.

•*•*•*•*•
A/N: he realises :)