act one ━ chapter two
( the quidditch captain )

❝Pluck up the courage and ask her
to Hogsmeade, you coward.❞

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐖 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐆 his schoolmates for two things; he was the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain and he was in love with Lily Evans. He had been since he was twelve years old and he attempted to teach Lily how to fly on a broom.

It did not end well, but it ended with Matthew realizing he had a crush on his redheaded best friend.

He was also the only sibling of his family to have inherited his mother's athleticism. While Andrea and their father spent much of their time baking and spending time with one another, Matthew and their mother's quality time consisted of flying on brooms and discussing Hufflepuff House's potential for the upcoming year.

Hufflepuff had not won the Quidditch Cup since Charlotte Knight, then Thornton, led the Badgers to the victory. And Matthew was determined to become the second Knight to be victorious. However, that proved to be quite difficult with everybody doubting their talents.

Oh, how he wanted to prove them all wrong.

He had just finished Quidditch practice and made his way back into the Hufflepuff common room where he saw his three siblings—and Maisie Kent—sitting in front of the fireplace with piles of books surrounding them like a den. Andrea, whose lap was being occupied with Maisie's legs, looked up when she heard the door open and smiled at her brother.

"How was practice?" she asked him making their brother and sister look up from her homework. Maisie, meanwhile, had fallen asleep with her Charms textbook spread out across her chest. Matthew shrugged and collapsed in the empty spot on the couch beside her. "That bad?"

"It wasn't bad, necessarily," he replied, shaking his head and looking down at their brother and sister who were lying on their stomachs on the floor. Max was pointing at something in their textbook and Alyssa banged her head on the pages. "They're just... inexperienced. But it'll all be alright, we'll be fine."

Andrea tilted her head. "Are you sure about that, Matt?"

"We'll be fine!" he insisted and she held up her hands in surrender. He let out a breath before looking back at her. "Shouldn't you be patrolling by now?"

"I can feel the love from here," she said sarcastically and he rolled his eyes. She glanced down at her watch. "I still have a few more hours before I'm supposed to be meeting Lily."

"Lily?" Matthew repeated and she immediately sighed. "I thought you usually patrolled with Remus."

She nodded. "I do. But he's not feeling very well tonight, so Lily offered to join me," she replied and he nodded to himself. "Oh, bloody hell, Matt... just pluck up the courage and ask her to Hogsmeade, you coward."

"Don't get involved, Ands." She and Matthew looked over at Alyssa who was swatting at Max's hand. "You know he doesn't listen to you about Lily."

Matthew sighed. "All of you shouldn't get involved. I'm going now. Goodnight."

"Coward!"

"I don't think you're one to talk, Goldie," Maisie said, waking up from her unplanned nap. "You've been in love with James Potter since you could walk. At least Matthew could form complete sentences when he realized he liked Lily."

Andrea frowned. "What did I do that everybody is ganging up on me?" she asked sulkily, closing her book. "Merlin, can't a sister innocently tease her brother without being attacked?"

___________________________

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 and the library was quiet and still. The only sound that could be heard was the scratching of Matthew's quill against his parchment. With his late-night Quidditch practice, he had only just begun his homework which unfortunately included a seven-page essay about vampires.

Thrilling.

His loopy handwriting which was much messier than his sister's began filling the empty space. As more time passed on, and the essay became longer, the more Matthew felt that his eyes refused to stay open.

Stay awake, his mind told him as he blinked tiredly. Homework first then you can worry about sleep. It's the weekend tomorrow.

"Normally if I find somebody in the library after hours, I have to give them detention." Matthew looked up when he heard the familiar voice and saw Lily Evans walking towards him with a small, teasing smile on her face. "But you're actually doing homework."

Her emerald green eyes shone in the rays of the moonlight that flooded through the library windows. Her dark red hair was pulled into a loose side braid that fell over her shoulder and partially covered her prefect's badge that was pinned to her crimson and black robes.

"Does this mean I should leave?" Matthew asked her, twisting his quill in his hands. "You coming in here? Because I can, just give me—"

"Relax," Lily interrupted gently, slipping into the vacant seat across from him. "I won't tell anybody that you're staying up doing homework." She looked down at the books that covered the table. "Are you still finishing the vampire essay for Professor Ackerley?"

He nodded with a sigh. "Yeah." He leaned back in his chair and rolled his neck, hoping to relieve the pressure from his joints. "Normally I would ask Andi or Max if they could look it over, but it's kind of late for that..."

"Andi was giving detention to a few second years when we separated," Lily said before shrugging. "I could take a look at it if you wanted..."

"Oh, that's alright," Matthew replied, shaking his head. "I'm sure you have better things to do than read my late-night writing that probably doesn't make sense."

Lily smiled lightly. "Not really, no." She slid the parchment toward her and began reading the unfinished essay when she looked up at the quill still in Matthew's hand. "May I?"

He looked down. "Oh." He nodded and held it out to her, their hands brushing for a brief moment. "You really don't have to do this, Lils."

"I don't mind," she assured him, her green irises meeting his brown ones. "Andi mentioned you had Quidditch practice earlier. Is that why you're up so late?"

"I suppose..."

"Do you think you'll do well this year?" she asked, crossing out a phrase on the parchment. "Hufflepuff has never really had a good team since your mother left, have they?"

"Not yet."

Lily pressed her lips together and nodded. "I like your confidence," she said and he looked back at her. "It reminds me of whenever you smile when you answer a question correctly in class." She paused and a deep blush spread across her cheeks. "You always look so proud of yourself..." Matthew looked down at his hands, unsure of what to say, and she cleared her throat. "It's good." She slid the parchment back toward him. "Your essay, it... it's good. I think you'll get good marks. I—I should probably go finish my patrol."

Matthew nodded. "Right. Of course. Uh—thanks for the help, Lils." She smiled back at him and began making her way out of the library, leaving him alone in the large room once more. He let out a breath and watched as the redheaded girl quietly closed the door behind her.

Matthew Knight and Lily Evans had first met on the Hogwarts Express on the first day of their first year and immediately became fast friends. She was a muggleborn, nobody in her family was a witch or wizard and she knew nothing of the magical education system. He had been more than happy to explain how the sorting worked.

It certainly helped that his own father was a muggle and also needed assistance in understanding how the wizarding world worked.

Before either of them knew it, they had arrived at the Hogwarts station, unaware that they had spent the entire train ride talking. Neither had gotten bored of the other and they entered the school with a new friend.

Throughout the years, Matthew and Lily's friendship only got stronger. They could often be found in the Great Hall doing their homework together or sitting by the Black Lake, exchanging silly stories of their summer holidays. He was the first person Lily went to whenever she was distressed and she was the first person Matthew would find whenever he needed to talk.

Matthew shook the thoughts out of his head and looked back down at the essay in front of him, but he couldn't focus. He could only see Lily's green eyes shining and her rosy cheeks becoming darker from laughter. The way her eyes would crinkle whenever she laughed particularly hard.

The only thought on Matthew Knight's mind was Lily Evans.

___________________________

"𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃 over," Andrea said bluntly as Matthew sat down beside her in the Great Hall the next morning at breakfast. "What happened to you? Are you ill?" she asked, pressing a hand to his unnaturally pale forehead that he swatted away.

"I'm not sick," he replied, stealing a piece of bacon. "I didn't sleep well last night, that's all. But I have a question for you, Ands."

"I might have an answer."

"After you met Jeremy, how long did it take for him to ask you to Hogsmeade?" he asked and she raised her eyebrows. "I mean, was—was it months?" She opened her mouth. "Weeks? Days, even? You haven't answered. Why aren't you answering?"

Andrea frowned. "Are you finished?" He nodded. "Well, I've always known of him since we were eleven. But we didn't properly talk until last year. And then he asked me to Hogsmeade a few months later. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "No reason." She glanced at him and saw he was looking over at the Gryffindor table. "What are your thoughts on Lily?"

"Evans?" She followed his gaze and it landed on the redhead who was talking animatedly with her friends. "Well, she's really nice, incredibly smart, and... way too pretty for you."

"Hey!"

Andrea smirked. "I'm your sister, it's my job to humble you." Matthew rolled his eyes. "But you know all of that, better than I do. What's wrong with you?"

He shrugged and quickly took hold of a piece of toast. "I was only curious. I may write to Mum and ask if she could come over for a few days this summer." He nodded to himself. "I'll do that right now, actually."

"It's October!" Andrea called out to him but he didn't turn back. She shook her head just as James sat down across from her and she jumped at his sudden appearance. "Oh, bloody—you need a bell."

"Stars, do you know how to fix a broken nose?" he asked her and she furrowed her brows. "Preferably without having to go to Madam Pomfrey."

"Who broke it?" James went to answer but she held up her hand. "Oh, wait, let me guess. It's either Sirius because he ran into another wall, or Peter because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time per usual."

James pressed his lips together. "Would you be surprised if I said both?"

She sighed. "What happened?" she asked defeatedly.

"Sirius ran into a wall and squished Peter against it, effectively broking both of their noses," he answered and she slumped against the table. "Oh, and Remus won't stop laughing."

Andrea nodded slowly. "It is a bloody miracle the four of you are still alive..."

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━ author's note:

nothing like andi being the exasperated mother of the marauders and matthew being a smitten teenage boy.

the way I see the knight family is: andrea, a daddy's girl; matthew, a mama's boy; alyssa, a mama's girl; and max, a mama's boy. they all love both parents dearly, but andrea is most like her father while the other three are very much their mother's children.