From Beginning to End

Chapter 8: Quidditch

        A pillow to the face is the ideal way to wake up.

       At least that was what Marlene McKinnon had concluded that mid-November morning. She took her pillow from her bed making sure to satisfactorily smack each of her dorm mates with it until they were undoubtedly awake.

Outside was overcast and drizzling but not altogether terrible. Frost had coated the dorm's window but inside it was warm. The fireplace was blazing, lighting up the otherwise dark room.

        Marlene was up, hair in a high-ponytail, bundled up in her jumpers, eyes bright with excitement. She bounced around as the others grumbled profanities towards her.

       It was seven am. That was plenty late enough she concluded. She'd even brought some hot cocoa from the kitchens earlier so really, her friends were being quite rude.

      "For why are you starting a pillow fight so early in the morning?" queried Lily. 

       "I second that," came the blanket-muffled voice of Mary MacDonald, "it's a saturday."

       "Yes," Marlene said with a chirpiness not even the birds mimic. "And..." she drew out the word, eyes wide and expectant.

       "And you're a nuisance?"

      "Lily Evans!"

      "What?"

      She had crawled out of bed at this point, carrying a purple throw blanket with her as she headed towards the washroom.

       "Come on! None of you know? It's been advertised for weeks! Weeks I tell you!"

        Mary brushed curly brown locks out of her face, her eyes only half opened. "Is it the quidditch ga–"

        "YES! Mary MacDobald I could marry you!" Marlene pulled the smaller girl into a hug that could break bones. "The first Gryffindor verses Slytherin game of the year to be exact."

       Lily returned from the washroom, toothbrush dangling from her frothing mouth. "Oh yeah, that seems exciting. I've never seen quidditch before," she said, toothpaste drool dropping onto her pajamas she was planning to wash anyway.

         Marlene too pulled Lily into a hug. "See, i knew you'd get on board."

         James and Sirius scampered down to the Great Hall that morning, bursting with energy. James may not have been able to prove his skills this season but he could still watch the matches and that was all that really mattered.

        The first match, a few weeks back, had been between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. They had strong teams but certainly nothing on the lions.

        The two boys had decked themselves in red and gold paint and every Gryffindor related clothing item they owned. The snakes didn't stand a chance.

       "Potter and Black get it!" Marlene exclaimed, looking up mid-conversation with Mary and Lily. She waved her arm at them. "You see that? That's called house pride." She glared at the formerly mentioned. "Which you lack."

       Grabbing Lily's face, pulling her away from her bite of sausage, Marlene faced her towards the others. "This is what you should look like."