CHAPTER THREE! ༉‧₊˚✧
━━━━ ⋆𖤐₊˚.༄ ♡ ━━━━

OVER THE NEXT WEEK, James had not forgotten about Diya and her quidditch skills.

He would corner Diya after her classes and ask her yet again to try out for the Gryffindor team (It helped that she and Lily shared most of them, allowing James to see his Lily-Flower).

Diya was seriously considering giving in and trying out, just for the hell of it, but every time she thought of it, she could only picture her angry parents, looking down at her for leaving behind her world of grace and delving into the world of sports.

In Diya's opinion, her parents should be happy for her. She was one of the top students (albeit not a prefect), and classically trained in many forms of dance. Adding to this, Diya was technically already involved in a sport— sword fighting.

The final straw for Diya was at dinner on the following Friday night. She was thankful to get a break from her studies, finally, and to unwind at dinner.

While she was eating her shepherd's pie, she bit into something that tasted like parchment. Grimacing and pausing her conversation with Lily, she reached into her mouth and pulled out a food-covered bit of paper.

It was rolled into a tight scroll, eliciting a sigh from the tired girl. She unrolled the paper and read:

PLEASE try out for the Gryffindor team. PLEASE. Tryouts are tonight after dinner. Can I walk you to the pitch?

-James

Sighing, she looked to the sender of the note, who was already looking at her. He was pouting with his hands clasped together, begging silently.

Might as well, she thought.

Diya nodded to him before tucking the scroll into her robe pocket.

James nearly fell out of his seat, shocked that Diya had finally given in, and after composing himself, he jumped up and ran over to Diya.

"You mean it?" He asked her, with wide eyes and a bright grin. James's hands were on her shoulder, as though to ensure that she was really in front of him and not just a figment of his imagination.

Smiling at the joyful boy's demeanor, Diya nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"YES!" James exclaimed, "I COULD JUST KISS YOU RIGHT NOW!"

"I'd rather you not," Diya laughed at James's behavior, before turning to face her confused friends. "Especially not when your precious Lily-Flower is seated right there!"

Marlene choked on her food in laughter while Alice smirked playfully at a glaring Lily, shoving her shoulder suggestively.

James leaned in and kissed Diya on the cheek, rendering her speechless.

James took advantage of her shocked state, wrapping his hand around his wrist and dragging her out of the Great Hall to what Diya assumes would be the Quidditch pitch.

"Potter! I didn't even get to finish my shepherd's pie!" Diya whined as James whisked her away.

As many students in the Great Hall watched in amusement as James dragged a flailing Diya down to the Quidditch pitch, nearly knocking over Zoya, Marlene looked around before scooping Diya's plate into her hands. She slid off the remaining food off of Diya's plate and onto her own.

"Really, Mar?" Lily asked, her arms crossed, and an eyebrow arched.

"Leave me alone, Lily-Flower," Alice hid a smile at Marlene's nickname for the flaming redhead, "It's not like she's here to finish it!"

Diya's wrist had begun to sting as James kept a vice grip on it, adamant on making sure that she got to the Quidditch Pitch.

"James, you can let go of my wrist now," Diya whined, slightly pulling her arm back in an attempt to get him to let go.

"Don't want you to escape, now do we, Talwar?" James looked back at Diya, smiling handsomely.

Diya rolled her eyes, but let a smile creep on her features once she was sure that James was not looking.

Upon reaching the Quidditch Pitch, James finally let go of his grip on Diya's wrist but kept a close eye on her to confirm that she wouldn't run away.

He smiled as he watched Diya sigh in content as she took in the feeling of the Quidditch Pitch. It was around 7 pm on that late September night, which meant that the sun had begun to turn everything in its path a lovely hue of gold.

"Listen, Diya," James called out to the girl, gaining her attention at the tender use of her first name. "I know we haven't made much of an effort to become friends or anything, so let me know if I'm overstepping."

Diya crossed her arms and tilted her head in confusion, waiting for James to continue. He looked somewhat anxious, which slightly unnerved the girl, seeing as he had always seemed so confident with everything that he did.

"I see how you change whenever you're down here at the matches." Diya raised a brow at James's observation. "You seem happier. Almost like you're at home or something, I'm not sure."

"I do?" Diya was totally confused. How had James Potter, a boy who never really was anything more than an acquaintance, read her with so much accuracy, that he was noticing things that she hadn't seen about herself?

"Yeah, you do. The look on your face is just so— I don't even know how to describe it, but it makes everything seem okay, even if it's just for a moment." James messed his hair up with his hand. Diya wasn't sure if it was a nervous habit or if he was becoming more confident in his conversation with her. "That's why I was so adamant about getting you down here to try out."

Diya's eyes widened. She'd always admired the sport, but she assumed that it was because her sister was one of the best players on the team (in her opinion).

"Tryouts are going to start in about 20 minutes, which is why I wanted to pull you out of the Great Hall early." James smiled reassuringly, "I wanna see what you can do, flying wise, and then you can see if you wanna try out or not."

Diya nodded, still trying to process the idea of James's thoughts. "Yeah, okay, that sounds good."

James smiled and nodded, walking away from Diya and to the quidditch supplies.

Diya shuffled in her spot as she watched James walk away. Diya had a lot to think about, and she needed to take the time to break down what she had just heard.

Diya never knew that her love for quidditch transcended anything more than a general liking for the game, so to hear James be so sure that it would be a perfect fit for her surprised her.

Diya shuffled around in her spot as she thought of the few times that she had genuinely interacted with Potter.

Even as she wracked her brain, she couldn't think of any moments that would warrant James' intense analysis. Any memories she had of him were fleeting, all of them being brief conversations before or after her study sessions with Remus.

Before she realized her mind had wandered, James appeared in front of her once more, snapping his fingers to get her attention.

"Alright, Talwar?" He asked, eyebrows knit in concern.

"Yeah, I'm all good," Diya shook her head slightly to get out of her trance before changing the subject, "Ready to start?"

James nodded excitedly before tossing her a broom, watching as she caught it with expertise.

"You do know how to fly, right?" James questioned, motioning to the broom with his hand.

"Somewhat," Diya scratched behind her ear. In all honesty, she didn't even know the last time she had mounted a broom, let alone flone one. Zoya preferred to practice on her own.

James nodded once more before placing the briefcase full of equipment on the ground and letting the balls free. Diya watched as the bludgers flew wildly around the pitch before finally hurtling itself back toward Diya.

James, who was too busy playing with the snitch, failed to realize that the bludger was headed right for him, and so as quickly as she could, Diya picked up the Beater's bat, ready to take action.

As the ball came mere feet from his face, James finally realized what was happening, and ducked down just as Diya swung and hit the bludger with blunt force, sending it flying away from the two.

"You alright there, Potter?" Diya took the time to repeat James's words as he gaped.

"Yeah, thanks to you and your ace beater skills!" James exclaimed, keeping a close eye on the bludger that began to hurtle towards them once again. He caught it with a grunt, tackling it back into the suitcase. "Must run in the family then, yeah?"

"Er, I don't know," Diya put the bat down, grabbing hold of the broom that James had handed her earlier. "Maybe."

"Well, whatever it is, you would be a fantastic beater! I was actually hoping to get you on the team as a Chaser, myself, seeing as we lost one to graduation, but we're down a Beater too, so I guess it all works out in the end!" Diya laughed as James enthusiastically flailed his arms around.

"Alright then, Potter, now what do you want me to do?" Diya asked, not knowing what to do now that there might be a place for her on the team.

"Let's go for a fly, just to make sure that you can actually use your skills."

Diya nodded, tucking her hair behind her ears, before mounting her broom, James mimicking her.

"Alright, let's kick off in three, two," James began to countdown, making direct eye contact with Diya.

"One!"

The two teenagers kicked off from the pitch and took off, speeding around the pitch neck and neck. James made a motion for Diya to follow him, which made Diya lean forward to increase her speed.

Any plunges that James would take, Diya would also produce. Any turns he made, any inclines he would take, it was all followed by Diya.

Diya had underestimated how freeing the game felt. She'd heard Zoya gush about the sport continuously for nearly seven years, but she had never fully understood what was so addicting about the game until she got out onto the pitch herself.

James halted in the air quickly, nearly knocking Diya off of her broom in surprise. She slowed down and circled back over to James, frozen in midair.

"Diya, you can fly!"

"James, so can you!" Diya mocked the excitement in his voice, watching as he waved her off.

"Diya, you do realize that this means that you would be a perfect fit for the Beater position, right?"

Diya's face suddenly lost all trace of amusement.

"Wait, so you're telling me that I might really end up on the team?" Diya asked, quickly scratching behind her ear before returning her hand to the floating broom.

"Yeah... Why do you look so horrified by that thought?" James asked, leaning forward on his broom slightly and turning around so he could be next to Diya. "Are you realizing you're gonna have to spend time practicing with me?

Diya nudged his shoulder, "No, of course not, it's just--"

Diya inhaled sharply, thinking back on her parent's reaction when they found out that Zoya had become a member of the Quidditch team without telling anyone.

"I'm just kind of worried about my parents' reaction, that's all."

"Why would you be worried? Wouldn't they be happy about it?" James asked, genuinely confused.

"Not when they believe that a girl's role in life should be graceful and not athletic." Diya looked at James, who was looking at her with his face contorted in confusion. "They didn't exactly love the idea of Zoya being a beater, so I doubt they would like the idea of me being one either."

"I get it," James said, looking straight down as Diya looked at him. "I mean, not personally, but I know someone who had a similar family."

Diya looked down at the Quidditch pitch now too, wanting to take in what James was saying.

"I know this might be bad advice," James said as he began his descent to the grass, Diya following his advice. "But sometimes, if something makes you happy, you have to stop caring about what other people think and start doing what is best for you."

Diya relaxed as she felt her feet touch the grass of the pitch, dismounting from her broom. "But--"

As though sensing that Diya would try and counter, James began again, "Or you could just not tell them."

She let out a hearty laugh at the difference in his advice. Scratching lightly behind her ear, she outstretched her arms and brought James into a warm hug.

"Thank you, James." She chuckled as James patted her back a few times, clearly not knowing what to do.

As they pulled apart, Diya heard a yell come from behind her, and she turned around to see Zoya stomping toward them.

"What's happening here, Potter?" Zoya crossed her arms as she finally planted her feet, her braid swinging dramatically behind her shoulders.

"Well, Cap, I just found you a replacement beater!" James exclaimed as he pointed his arms to Diya.

"Beater?"

"Cap?"

The sisters were both confused at this new information. Clearly, both of them had been keeping secrets from the other, and this certainly wouldn't end well.

"Since when did you play Quidditch?" Zoya questioned, taking James by surprise at her quick speech

"Since when were you Captain of the team?"  Diya mimicked Zoya's tone.

James, ever the smart one, had sensed slight hostility in the sister's tones as they continued to speak to each other in a language he was not familiar with.

He slowly began to back away from the two, his steps leading toward the castle. When he thought they were occupied enough to not realize he was fleeing the scene, he turned toward the school and picked up his speed.

"Stay!" The two girls took a break from yelling at each other to call James back.

James winced before turning around and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, watching as the two sisters threw glares at each other.

After another minute of nonverbal conversations between the sisters, Zoya's expression softened, and she turned to James, pulling her braid over her shoulder.

"Is she any good?" Zoya asked, ignoring her sister's wail of disbelief.

"Better than good," James said honestly, raising his right hand to prove it.

Zoya sighed and threw her hands up slightly. "Then I see no reason for you not to be on the team."

Diya nodded, a smirk coming over her features. "You can't tell mama or papa."

Zoya raised an eyebrow and was about to question her, but stopped when Diya raised her hand.

"Just trust me, they would not want to know," Diya said in English. Zoya nodded wordlessly, playing with the end of her braid. "Thank you, Didi."

"If you call me Didi again, I'll kick you off the team, just watch." Zoya scolded, smiling as she heard James snort and try and play it off as a cough.

Diya smirked once more before clearing her throat, "Right then, goodbye, fellow teammates."

Diya mentally smacked herself for the awkward reply as she waved to the two Quidditch players before beginning the small trek up to the castle.

She ignored James and Zoya conversing softly as the rest of the Gryffindors who wanted to try out for the team walked down to the pitch. She smiled at a few, and some smiled back due to her notoriety in the library.

After Diya got back to the castle and waited for the stairs to line up just right so she could reach the Gryffindor Common Room, she finally walked through the portrait hole, ready to lie down and sleep.

As the adrenaline from the try out wore off and her stomach growled, Diya cursed James over and over from tearing her away from her Shepherd's Pie earlier in the night.

Diya finally straightened out once she planted her feet on the rug in the Common Room.

"How'd it go?"

Diya jumped as she snapped her head to the source of the voice. Sirius and Remus were playing a game of chess, and the sight of the girl entering the room attracted Sirius's attention.

"Good." Diya placed a hand on her chest in an attempt to slow her heart, currently beating uncontrollably since Sirius had scared her. "I made the team."

"What?" A shrill voice sounded from in front of the fireplace. Alice stood up in shock, with Lily and Marlene following. "That's fantastic, Diya!"

The three girls ran over to Diya and enveloped her in a hug. Diya patted their backs awkwardly, not exactly knowing how to act.

"What do you say, Diya?" Alice pulled away from the hug, placing her hands on her hips.

"Uhhh, yay?" Diya raised her hands, unsure, mimicking the motion of a cheerleader.

Alice smacked her behind the head.

"Not yay," Alice mocked her tone, "You say, 'Thank you, Alice, ever all-knowing one."

"Alright, Alice, first of all, ow!" Diya rubbed the back of her head in an attempt to soothe the stinging. "Second of all, thank you for pushing me."

"Tell me everything!" Marlene said next, dragging Diya to the couch as Sirius watched on in amusement. "Or else you'll make me regret not eating the leftovers that we brought you from dinner."

Lily cleared her throat.

"Sorry, the leftovers that Lily brought you from dinner." Marlene clarified.

"You guys know me so well," Diya said as she brought the plate of chicken closer to her, reaching out to grab a piece, but stopping when Alice slapped her hand.

"Details."

Diya rolled her eyes and grabbed a chicken leg anyway, beginning to tell the girls about how James had told her about how he noticed the love that the girl had for quidditch, even if she hadn't seen it herself. This made Lily look around the room with a blush on her face, which all of the girls immediately called out, trying to be quiet so that James' best friends wouldn't hear.

Diya also brought up how she had diverted the bludger from severely mauling James (something that Lily was quick to insult James for), as well as her feelings on Zoya not telling her that she was the captain of the team now.

As the girls all sat around the coffee table in front of the fireplace, eating leftovers from dinner, Sirius couldn't help but notice the similarities in the group to his own friends, something that he felt could possibly bring them together in the future.

༉‧₊˚✧
a/n

everytime i reread this chapter i like it less and less but tbh it's the best one so far so- 🏃🏻‍♀️💨

anyway, i WAS trying to stick to an updating pattern where i don't post another chapter until i have prewritten ones ahead of it but school is a bitch and i've had this in the drafts for too long so here's chapter three LMFOSJDKDJF

anyway, next chapter will have more sirius and diya interaction since there's been like none so far.... and this is a sirius fic....

chile- i'm a mess rn pls ignore;  anyway here's the chapter since shay is so impatient

love you all and thank you for reading