From Beginning to End

Chapter 29: Beater

"I'm going out for Beater."

The dormitory grew quiet with anticipation as Marlene Mckinnon stared fixedly at the beige wall across the room.

"Really?" Lily asked.

"Marls, that's amazing!"

"I'm sure you'll make it, Marlene," Mary smiled as she brushed through her dark curls.

Marlene shrugged casually. "Yeah, well Shaklebolt's graduated so I figured I might as well give it a go."

"Definitely! The only downside is you'll be playing with Potter and Black."

Mary giggled softly, remembering Lily's long rant from a few nights ago.

      Potter had approached Lily talking with her as though they were fast friends. He then had gone on to call her 'Lily-Flower' which was a dangerous game to play, and then asked if she'd be interested to go to the first Hogsmeade trip with him in October.

Lily had scoffed at him and said no so flatly that apparently Potter just stared at her for a moment in shock.

      See, Lily believed this was all sort of prank that Potter and his gang were up playing to start up the prank war of '71-72 again. She did not want to be a pawn in some game, certainly not one involving those arrogant tossers, so rudeness was the answer.

      "Yeah, they're spoilt brats but Black's kind of cute," Mary commented, twirling a curly lock of black hair between her fingers.

Lily gagged loudly. "Never say that again."

"Oh come on! Honestly all four of them are sort of attractive."

"Don't push it," laughed Marlene.

Lily held her hands up in surrender. "I don't want to hear that, the only one that's not a complete idiot is Lupin."

      McKinnon stood among several other Gryffindor students a week later on the quidditch pitch.

West McKinnon, her brother, was the Captain this year but she didn't want to make the team because of sibling biases.

She knew her worth, the hours of backyard practices had proved as much, she'd make the team regardless of her brother's position.

The rest of the team would probably remain the same.

Carley Abbott was a fifth year student, and from several months spent at home, a conclusion had been reached that West was rather taken by her. Besides, she's been on the team the previous year or two and had been bloody fantastic so obviously she'd be kept.

They needed a new Chaser and Keeper. Meghan Pettigrew and Dorcas Medowes were the obvious choices. Both were fifth years, also friends with West and Carely and had been on the reserve team for years now.

Potter and Black had made the team last year and had performed so well that there was no doubt that their positions were concrete.

      That left one open position: Beater. The only students trying out were trying for the same position so Marlene had some competition. She wasn't worried.

      An hour and many bat swings later, the tryouts were over and now there were two McKinnons on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"You did great Marlene, I knew you'd make it!" Carley said, shaking out her short hair. "West was telling me how good you were."

"Thanks."

She paused, surveying the older girl.

"West didn't put me on the team because I'm his sister right?"

Carley's blue eyes widened. "Oh no, of course not! In fact," she laughed lightly, "He told me that he was only going to let you on if you were better than everyone else. His words were; 'no unfair treatment for my baby sister unless it's negative.'"

Marlene laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Of course he did," she muttered. "Bloody bastard."