Chapter Eight |Year 4|

In Divination with Professor Trelawney, Amelie was bored. So bored, in fact, that she excused herself to go to the bathroom, and stayed in the bathroom until the end of class. She couldn't take any more of Trelawney's someone-will-be-murdered and I-am-a-seer-and-I-know-all rubbish.

Right when that period was over, Amelie rushed to the silvery trapdoor. On cue, it opened, and a staircase winded its way down to the ground. Amelie mounted it hurriedly and went into the classroom.

Her classmates were already packing up, and Amelie walked to her desk, and grabbed her bag, and slipped her copy of Unfogging the Future back into it. Professor Trelawney hobbled over to Amelie, her face growing sympathetic.

"Oh, did you have some stomach problems in the bathroom?"

Amelie grimaced. This was extremely embarrassing, and her fellow Slytherins were all staring. "Oh - what? Um. Er - yeah, really bad,"

Professor Trelawney made an understanding face. "Dear, don't worry. Every female goes through the same thing. Too many mood swings, I imagine?"

"Oh - uh - well, sure...?" Amelie replied weakly. Some of the boys had begun to snigger. Daphne and Lexi stood to the side, looking empathetic for their friend. Pansy and her posse stood by, whispering to each other.

"Do you need any more toiletries? I have some, if you need them," offered Professor Trelawney helpfully. Then, she bent down to whisper into Amelie's ear, "My moon cycles considerably heavy, and so of course I have all the toiletries you could dream of."

Amelie was sure it was meant to be a whisper, at least, but everyone heard. She nodded, her cheeks growing red, and the class was dismissed.

Once out of the room, Amelie sunk into the wall. "Agh, that was so embarrassing!" she exclaimed to Daphne and Lexi. Lexi nodded.

"I was watching Draco, and he looked very amused. Well, while looking so sexy at the same time," remarked Lexi to the two.

Daphne smiled coyly at Lexi. "Sure, but remember, he's going out with me," she reminded. Lexi scowled, looked down, and picked at her nails, as if it would make her seem like she didn't care.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to ask him, like, now," said Lexi haughtily. "Amelie, come with me."

The French girl rolled her eyes. "Fine, Lexi,"

"Let's go, he's right there, ooh, he looks so, like, yummy, I can see his abs, his cloak, his hair, so blonde, I can already feel the silkiness - " recited Lexi dreamily. "I'm gonna marry him."

"Um, okay - ?" said Amelie. She could honestly not understand how both her Slytherin friends were so unhealthily infatuated with Draco Malfoy.

"Yeah. So let's go. Before I can marry him, I've gotta ask him out, if you didn't realize that," said Lexi, tossing her hair back.

"But don't try to steal him from me," said Daphne, suddenly looking worried.

"See, that's the point! I don't have to! He already dislikes you, so he'll, like, come running to me, cause, like, I'm just that awesome," Lexi stated matter-of-factly, then pulled out some lip gloss and slathered it onto her already glossed-many-times lips.

Daphne looked wounded. "That's not true, he - "

Amelie got in between the fight before they could get much further into it. "Okay, okay, both of you like him. Why don't we let Lexi ask him out, let him go on both dates, and see who he likes best?"

Lexi wasn't fazed. "Well, we already know he'll like me better, so, um, I don't need to, like, waste my time like that,"

Daphne smiled nervously. "Yeah, what if - what if he doesn't like one of us?"

"Just don't take it personally,"

Lexi took Amelie's hand and started dragging her towards where Draco was standing with Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy's posse. Also known as, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Tracey Davis. Apparently Daphne was once a member of Pansy's little "group," but they were mean to her, and so she left and became friends with Lexi and Amelie.

"Well, we'll see you later, Daphne!" Amelie called back to her friend.

Lexi walked over to Draco, leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek. He looked shocked, and wiped his face. "What was that for?" he shouted loudly, looking alarmed. Pansy's jaw dropped, and she looked suddenly hostile towards the young Pucey.

"Yeah, Draco doesn't wanna be touched by your filthy hands!"

"I'm not filthy, I'm a pureblood!" protested Lexi hotly. She flipped her hair, and grinned at Draco again. "Anyways, will you go out with me?"

Malfoy was a little freaked out. Yesterday, Daphne Greengrass asked him out. He had been forced to say yes, Amelie was there - and she was here, too. So how did he back out of this? He had no idea. Although, the Pucey girl was pretty hot...

"Uh, sure," replied Malfoy smoothly, and smirked at her. She gave a tiny squeal, and danced back to Amelie, who looked quite amused. Pansy, next to him, most definitely was not.

"Did you just say yes to that filthy girl?" screeched Pansy, throwing herself over Draco. He dodged and she slipped.

"Oops, tripped, sorry," apologized Draco in a non-apologetic way. Pansy's face softened, and she pecked his cheek. Draco's jaw clenched in repulsion.

"It's okay, dearest Drakey-poo,"

Meanwhile, Amelie and Lexi walked back over to where Daphne sat. She looked dissatisfied, as she had heard the short exchange between Lexi and Draco. And, of course, had seen what had happened.

"You're stealing my man," she said shortly to Lexi. Lexi scoffed loudly, and flipped her hair.

"Uh-huh, what about no, I didn't? He doesn't like you, he said yes to you because he's just that polite, he doesn't actually like you. Get your facts straight, Greengrass!" Lexi told Daphne loudly. Daphne's eyes welled up with tears.

"Now, now, Lexi, you didn't actually mean that," Amelie reprimanded, and put a comforting hand on Daphne's shoulder, who whimpered.

"No, she did, she did! It's true though, he probably doesn't like me, I'm just... me, I'm just me, just me, just me, just me, just me, just me, just me...." and on Daphne went.

Lexi, however, her actions totally contradicted all Amelie's efforts to comfort Daphne. She scoffed again, and flipped her hair. Every time Amelie said anything comforting and supportive to Daphne, Lexi would roll her eyes and shake her head. And throw in flipping hair and smearing lip gloss onto your mouth into the routine, and you get the gist of it.

After a few minutes, Amelie looked up to check the time, and saw it was close to Quidditch tryouts for the Slytherin team. When Marcus Flint had introduced the topic of tryouts, he had put emphasis on his implied hints that girls didn't play quidditch, at least not on his team.

However, Amelie didn't care, if she set her mind on something, she would get that something. Right now, that something was getting onto the Slytherin quidditch team, and she wouldn't let stupid prejudices stop her advancement. She said goodbye to Lexi and Daphne, and left for the Quidditch pitch.

She went to the locker room, and she saw there wasn't a girls' locker room. Disgruntled, Amelie went in, with her duffel bag in hand, and then came the sight of boys. Many, many males. They all stopped and stared at her.

"Um, what are you doing here?" asked Flint roughly. He crossed his arms, and it was hard for Amelie not to become intimidated by his scary facial expression.

"I'm trying out?" replied Amelie quietly, and lifted her face to look him in the eye defiantly. "And since there is no girls' locker room here, I've come to change. So, get out?"

Some boys quickly shuffled out, but Flint stood his ground. "I thought I made it clear that girls weren't allowed to play, third year,"

Amelie shrugged. "Hm, why don't I remember you saying that? Oh, right, because you didn't."

"Fine, you can tryout, but there's a slim chance you'll make it," he barked at her, and she nodded.

"Okay, then I guess I'll just have to show you I'm better than you."

He and the other boys left the changing room, to finally let Amelie change in peace. She took off her cloak quite aggressively, and slipped off her top. She changed into a green-and-silver Slytherin-colored sports bra and put on a translucent tank top over it, then paired it with dri-fit black capris. She slung her light brown hair into a ponytail, and left the locker room.

"If you're trying out for chaser, follow me!" called Flint, and Amelie rushed to join the ever-growing line of Slytherins wanting to become a chaser. Amelie had played quidditch before, it was fairly easy to get a hold of, and she enjoyed it considerably. The boys scattered across the quidditch pitch ogling Amelie made her extremely uncomfortable, and she chose not to talk to any of the dirty-minded gits.

Flint called of the list of names, and then finally, he reached Amelie's. For each person called, he would throw the Quaffle into the air, and then the person trying out would go against himself, scoring into the hoops to see who made the most points. Personally, Amelie did not think this was fair, but Flint was captain, and what he said went.

Plus, who ever said Slytherins were fair, anyways?

"Alright, filthy blood traitor, c'mon, let's see you fail," growled Flint disdainfully when her turn was up. Amelie only slightly nodded her head to acknowledge him. She mounted her Nimbus 2000, and smiled at him, almost mockingly.

"We'll see,"

Flint threw the Quaffle up into the air, and before he blinked, Amelie flew insanely fast towards the Quaffle, grabbed it, and zoomed out across the field, towards the hoops. Before she made it to there, however, Flint flew up and snarled at her.

Amelie dodged his outstretched arm, and flipped in the air before speeding down in a spectacular nosedive and streamlining straight up, still hugging the Quaffle to her chest, towards the hoop. She plunked it into the hoop, and sacrificed it to Flint to exhibit her skills at stealing.

Flint caught the Quaffle, looking menacingly scary. He didn't scare Amelie, however, she was already used to Camille, who was far scarier than him when she wanted something. He tried to fly his way past Amelie, but she did a 360 degree spin, confusing Flint. She flew past him, then behind the burly boy, released her broom, and jumped off of it. It was an extremely risky move, one all the other Slytherins watching stared in awe at. She jumped over Flint on his broom, grabbed the Quaffle, and landed back onto her broom in a matter of seconds. She twirled the Quaffle triumphantly, flew to the hoop again, and threw it into the hoop.

The two Slytherins landed onto the ground, Flint looking far more unpleasant than earlier. Amelie, however, seemed to be practically glowing with delight. She grinned at the burly sixth-year a bit boastfully. After all, she was a Slytherin, no matter how nice she was.

"Did that show you how much better girls are than boys?" she asked sweetly to Flint. He grunted, scowling at her with evident contempt.

For the rest of tryouts, she watched the Keeper tryouts and the Seeker tryouts. Many of the people who tried out looked determined and confident they would get the position, but Amelie felt a tad bit sorry for them. They would never know when it hit them, she thought, when they were declined from the team.

Four hours later, the results were posted on a sheet of paper on the wall.

SLYTHERIN QUIDDITCH TEAM 1993-1994

CHASERS: Marcus Flint, Graham Montague, Amelie Santerre

RESERVE CHASER: Cassius Warrington

SEEKER: Draco Malfoy

KEEPER: Miles Bletchley

BEATERS: Peregrine Derrick, Lucian Bole

Amelie was happy with the result. She had made the team, that was all that mattered. Daphne and her walked around the corridor, whilst Daphne congratulated her friend on making the team.

"You were brilliant!" exclaimed Daphne energetically. Amelie smiled as modestly as she could, which was pretty modest for a Slytherin.

"Why, thanks, but I don't get how Malfoy made it onto the team,"

"Well," Daphne started, "last year, his father bought the whole team Nimbus 2001's, and so he replaced Terrence Higgs as the Seeker."

Amelie was shocked and disgusted. It seemed to her that he had bought his way onto the team. She repeated her thoughts to Daphne, her friend chuckled slightly.

"That's exactly what the Gryffindor mudblood know-it-all, Hermione Granger, said!"

"Don't call her that," snapped Amelie. "She's my friend."

"Oh, right," said Daphne dismissively. Amelie sighed. She loved her friend dearly, but she could be a lot more considerate sometimes.

When they rounded the corner, they stumbled across a shocking sight.

Draco Malfoy and Lexi were snogging. Lexi was against the wall, and Draco had his hands on her waist. Her hands were entangled in his blonde hair, and she had her legs around him.

It was more than enough to infuriate Amelie. She knew she didn't like Malfoy, couldn't like him, but somehow, jealousy was sparked in her. Amelie really couldn't deny that, although she would never admit it.

Daphne was close to tears. The two snogging couple broke apart for air, and realized they were being watched.

"Oh - er, hello," said Lexi awkwardly. She glanced at Daphne, who's eyes were spilling with tears.

"I can't believe you did that to me!" screeched Daphne at Lexi, and slapped her. Enraged, Lexi slapped Daphne back. Soon, there simple bickering was turned into a who-slaps-who fest.

"Don't you slap me!"

"You dare slap me!"

"Yes, I dare!"

"You're just jealous!"

"So what if I am?"

Draco had slinked away, and Amelie found that she really wanted to slay the hide off his back and make him bleed. For ruining her two bestest Slytherin friends' friendship, that was enough to make Amelie want to kill him.

Lexi disappeared, face twisted and looking like a madwoman, to the other way that led to the Slytherin common room. Clearly, she didn't want to be bothered by Daphne.

Daphne, on the other hand, was sobbing loudly, and Amelie was leading her back to the common room fast as she could. Amelie led her up the stairs, to the girls' dormitory. Suddenly, she had an idea to help Daphne calmm down.

Amelie morphed into her beautiful, white arctic fox form, and settled down into Daphne's lap. She started stroking Amelie's pelt, her tears falling onto the silvery hide.

With that, Amelie fell asleep, dreaming of killing Draco Malfoy but, somehow, just somehow, snogging him too...