(James)

  "Merlin, she was a mess..." Sirius muttered next to me.
   Katrina Rose had an ongoing problem with Lucius Malfoy. I myself didn't like him, but she hated him. And he hated her.
  "You love her, don't you?" I felt a hand hit my shoulder.
   "No, you prat! I just enjoy teasing her." I shoved him and shivered at the thought of being intimate with Katrina.

I mean sure she's pretty, but she's not what I want in a girl. She's narcissistic and rude, even though she's got a beautiful laugh.
     "Fine, what about Evans?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows at me seductively.
      "Sirius, knock it off." I groaned as he cackled.
      "Hey, race you to class?" He asked.
      "You're on."

✧

(Katrina)

      "Oh, my head..." I muttered. The throbbing was intense, and my vision was blurry.
       "Ah, you're awake, poor dear. Here drink this." Madam Pomfrey tutted as she came into my sight, holding a mug of purple liquid.

     I brought the cup to my lips, only to be met with a bitter, yet minty taste.
      I coughed and tried to push the drink away.               "What is this?"
       "It's a light drought for headaches and minor concussive head injuries. Drink all of it and you can be up and kicking by dinner." She told me, gathering up a few empty bottles to clean.

      I groaned in reluctance, before deciding  to sip the drink slowly and try to adjust my thoughts. I closed my eyes and suddenly, I remembered how kind James and Sirius had been. Why was it they cared all the sudden? Is it because I know their little secret?
    Another thought came to mind, "Madame Pomfrey?"
    "Yes, dear?" Her voice chirped from my right.
    "What day is it?"
    "Saturday night, dear. You were out in a fitful sleep while I tried to mend and regrow some of the bones in your face. I took longer than I would've liked." She told me from behind the curtains in front of my bed.
    My jaw dropped, "Saturday?" I asked in disbelief. Madame Pomfrey appeared again.
    "Yes," She nodded and grabbed the empty mug from my hands, "Now, since you are all better, you need some food in you."

✧

Dinner was bustling by the time I got down there. The Gryffindor table was packed as usual. I scanned the faces sitting around it, looking for Alice or Lily. I didn't see either. I sighed, and turned to go up to the Gryffindor Commons. I wasn't watching where I was going and smacked straight into another girl.

"Merlin, I am so sorry, I wasn't watching-," Her appearance halted my rant. She was sleek and tall, with an elegant face and playful hazel eyes framed under dark lashes. Her dark skin glowed gold in the candle light of the Great Hall and her long brown hair fell in perfect spirals around her face. In short, she was stunning.

"Oh, no need to worry! It looks like you have a lot on your mind," She stuck out her hand, "I'm Elise Edwards."

I reached my hand for hers in a daze, "Kat... Katrina Rose. But, uh, most people call me Kat," Then I finished quickly, "Either is fine though!"

Elise laughed, and my ears felt blessed, it was a sweet sound and it reminded me of warm sunlight. "It's nice to meet you Kat," She glanced at my robes, "A Gryffindor? I'm a Slytherin."

I racked my brain for anything smart sounding to say, "Right! We're playing your Quidditch team on Sunday!" I stated, a bit too loudly. "I mean tomorrow!" I corrected myself.

She snapped her fingers and her eyes glowed with recognition, "That's right! You're one of the beaters! You're pretty good."

I felt myself turn red and I giggled, "Uh, thanks..."

Elise smiled and turned to join her table for dinner, "Well, it was certainly nice to meet you, Kat. I'll keep an eye out for you tomorrow." And with that, she disappeared into the crowd.

✧

I stumbled up to the common room, narrowly avoiding yelling at the Fat Lady for changing the password again. I managed to make it to my bed before I fell onto it in a giggling mess.

"Katrina... is that you?" Came Lily's groggy voice from somewhere to my right.

"Kat, why are you making so much noise." Alice's muffled voice asked, where she was no doubt buried in seven or eight blankets.

I just giggled again and rolled over to go to sleep.

✧

"Katrina! Wake up, you lazy sack of meat!" Lily yelled, loudly, into my ear.

"Oi! What's your problem?" I growled as I sat up. I glanced outside and saw the first crack of sunlight beginning to rise right over the crest of trees of the horizon. "It's so early!"

"I know! James threw a book at the door. It woke me up, so I yelled at him and he said he needed you. There's an early practice for the Slytherin game today." She told me, climbing back into bed.

Shit. I stood up and started to change into my Quidditch practice uniform. I grabbed my bag and my broom, and made my way downstairs.

James and Sirius were waiting at the base of the stairs.
"Well, look who it is, Miss Mashy Face herself." James said snarkily.

I hadn't seen either of them since they took me to Madame Pomfrey, and I had felt like some thanks was owed. That gratitude disappeared when he called me "Mashy Face".

   I rolled my eyes and walked down the stairs from the girl's dorm. I shouldered past him and kept walking towards the painting.

   "Woah, woah, woah!," Sirius grabbed my arm before I got to the painting. "I feel like we're owed a little something for carrying your rump to Pomfrey's, don't you think?"

"I'll say thank you if you stop calling me Mashy Face, deer boy." I told them, pulling my arm from Black's grasp.

James raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, no more Mashy Face."

"Okay then," I turned to face them to be more sincere. "Thank you. You saved me from a really embarrassing and unpleasant situation. Though I wish you were there before Malfoy made me eat dirt-," James gave me a look. "I'm still grateful."

  "Alright I'll accept it." James grabbed our arms and tugged us towards the Fat Lady.

✧
  

   "Alright Rose, since you missed tryouts, I'll have to introduce you to our new team." Potter began as he lead me out into the middle of the Quidditch Pitch. Sirius had escaped our clutches after we got out of the castle.

  I watched as the sun was just coming up over the trees surrounding the edge of Hogwarts' campus. In early December, there was still no snow, but the air did have a nip to it and every once in a while you could get a whiff of evergreen. I could feel the chill on my cheeks as we marched out onto the pitch, and James kept turning around and giving me these smiles.
Like he knew something that I didn't and he really enjoyed it. His hair was in disarray as usual and his hazel eyes were bright under his glasses. He actually looked quite cute, with the hair and his smile. I'd never tell him that though. His ego would get too big.

  James introduced me to the three new people on our team, two new Chasers named Edith and Tom, and a new Keeper named Sybil. Alice managed to pull herself out of bed and get down to the pitch before me, and she stood there as my second beater. Our seeker was a girl named Jaklyn, who was very fast.

  We took to the air in the next twenty minutes, first practicing passing the Quaffels between James and the new Chasers, then playing some practice rounds. Alice and I practiced with the Bludgers in a game we liked to call "Try not to hit Potter... very hard". It's quite amusing, if you aren't James.

  As the practice came to an end and our teammates retreated to the warm castle, James and I were left out on the pitch alone, wrangling the Bludgers and the Snitch.

  "So, Katrina," James said to me, snapping the case to the Quidditch balls closed. "Any plans for Christmas?"

   I smiled to myself and finished polishing my broom, "I-," I began and then looked at him. He was looking at me intently. "No, not this year. My parents don't want me home . Last year was enough drama for them."

  James' smile faltered, "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just trying to make conversation...

   "No! No, don't apologize." I packed up my broom and took the case from James. "It's no fault of yours. It's my fault, if anything. My relatives get... uncomfortable, when I change my features." And to accent my point, my hair shifted to a candy apple red.

  James frowned, not even a little bit amused by my hair. "You know Kat, I can't let you stay at the castle like this. You're coming to my house for Christmas."

   "James, I can't possibly intrude on your holiday. What about your parents? Plus, I don't think I could spend two weeks with you. We butt heads all the time, and-," James cut me off.

   "Katrina! Calm down! I refuse to let you be lonely on Christmas. Sirius spends every Christmas at my house, my parents are more than accommodating. They'll love you." He told me, coming towards me to take back the case. "And as for how we'll get along, I guess I'll just be on my best behavior."

   I cackled, "You, best behavior? Yeah right." He gave me a pleading smile. What's the worst that could happen? I tear his head off?
"Oh, alright."

   James did a little dance in celebration. "Victory!" He shouted.

   "Shhh! Quiet down! People are still asleep." I told him.

   He grabbed my arm and we walked to the Quidditch shed, just as it began to snow.

(Hi people still reading this! Thank you for your continued support! I don't think I've updated this story in a year? Yeah, my bad.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Remember to drop a like and comment telling me what you thought!!

Thanks again!! I love you all!!)