"It just doesn't make any sense!"
There's a collective groan from the room.
"It makes perfect sense," James says indignantly, cheeks flushed from the firewhiskey.
"Lily, it's a lost cause," Remus sends her sympathetic look. "Believe me, I've tried. It's like a cult."
"All sports are cults, but at least muggle ones don't have a ball worth a hundred-and-fifty points that automatically ends the game," she tilts the drink she's holding back into her mouth, fiery red hair piled in a messy bun on top of her head.
"Or have a ball that's trying to kill you," Remus adds.
She gestures to him emphatically with her bottle. "Exactly!"
It's the night before Christmas Holidays and nearly all of the Gryffindor upper years are sitting around the common room drinking.
"Remus," James says solemnly. "I hope you know that you're breaking my heart."
The other boy rolls his eyes. "Oh, I'm sure you'll get over it."
"Come on James," Lily pushes, "you must see how mad it is—you nearly got beheaded in your last game."
"That," Frank cuts in emphatically, "was Bones's fault, not quidditch's. It was a bad play."
"Here, here," Mary lifts her drink in the air and Marlene giggles.
"I mean, it was kind of quidditch's fault."
"Due to the aforementioned murder balls," Remus backs Lily up.
"Exactly," she says again, laughing a bit. "How do they not see it?"
"Cult, this is what I'm saying."
"Oh just get a room you two," James says exasperated. "A no fun boring room."
"A safe reasonable room," Lily corrects.
Sirius makes a gagging noise. "Ugh, reasonable, talk about a boner killer."
"I don't think anyone was talking about boners darling," Alice sing-songs from her spot next to Frank.
"Weren't they?" Sirius asks. "Shame that."
That gets a laugh from everyone but Remus, who looks very determinedly at the fireplace. It's been weeks but James still catches them avoiding eye contact, or not standing too close. He hates it, but seeing as his last conversation with Sirius ended in more fighting he's not exactly sure what to do about it.
"Speaking of quidditch cults," Alice says, sending Frank a mischievous smile that has him blushing. They're sitting on the sofa with Mary, Lily and Marlene leaning against their legs, the marauders sprawled out on the floor in front of them.
"This one's just got his first pro offer," she punches his arm affectionately.
"Hey, no way!" James sits up, surprised to only be hearing about this now. "That's brilliant!"
"Who's trying to snap you up Franky-boy?" Sirius asks.
"Puddlemere, believe it or not," Frank gives them a shy smile, rubbing the back of his neck. Off the pitch Frank is actually rather reserved, it always throws James for a loop. Especially since Alice is about the most extraverted person he knows, besides Sirius, of course.
"No shit," Sirius says grinning. "That's mad."
"You're going get us season tickets right?" James leans over to smack Frank's legs.
The older boy rolls his eyes. "As if you need me to Potter. Doesn't your family have a private box at the stadium outside of London?"
Sirius snorts. "Yeah they do, and let me tell you, the only thing better than watching quidditch, is watching quidditch while drinking champagne and eating caviar."
