Mischievous-A Marauders Fanfic

21-A Bad Day For Quidditch

When James pelted back into the library, shaking and out of breath, he was just in time to see Halley perform an incredibly successful Reduction Charm under Nashville's supervision.

"Alright, Potter?" Nashville asked, as James collapsed into a chair.

"Yeah, yeah yeah. Fine. Fine fine. Just been running" James replied breathlessly. "Don't mind me."

As Nashville shrugged and carried on, tutoring Sirius this time, James beckoned Peter over to him.

"Need you to go down to Remus and Sammie" he muttered quietly. "Tell them there's no point in waiting. Tomorrow night's the night. The Bowtruckles are coming. And I know where they'll be going. Also tell them Nashville's tutoring us, so no chance to plan till tomorrow."

Peter's eyes opened wide, and he was about to say something.

"Go!" James ordered sharply. Peter nodded and ran off.

"Where's he going?" Nashville asked curiously, from over with Sirius.

"Loo, probably" Sephy chimed in, looking hard at James, who inwardly smiled. Sephy knew something was up already.

"Right" Nashville said, a little tautly, eyeing the exchange. Sephy curled up on the desk she was sitting on and let James catch his breath. From the look on his face when he came in, she would be damned if James hadn't found something out. She was a little concerned as to what it was, as she hadn't seen James look so terrified since she threatened to disembowel him at the dinner table whilst holding a knife.

"Potter, Sephy?" Nashville asked again. "I was thinking of putting on a Quidditch practice tonight. Just drills. You both coming? We should probably go now."

James and Sephy looked at each other again, before hopping up and following Nashville's lead.

"We going to be OK tonight?" James asked, just to make conversation. "To practice, I mean. What with the Lethifold and stuff."

"Try and stop me" Nashville replied flatly. "Easter break is practically upon us, and after that it's exams exams exams until the next half-term. I'm getting my practices in now."

"Point" James conceded, as they walked back to the Gryffindor common room to get changed. "Where are the others?"

"Orson told the Carters from me" Nashville replied. "And Bleu was there when I decided to call practice. It was why I came looking for you two."

Sephy knew from his voice that he was lying. He had been looking for her, to check if she was alright. She could feel it. Her stomach gave a rather painful flutter of butterflies, and she struggled a little to keep the pace with the boys. Most of her mind was taken up with wondering what on earth James had found.

"I'll leave a note for Remus and Sirius in my dorm" the Seeker whispered to her as they entered the common room. "They'll make up some sort of plan. They'll have to. I've found how the smugglers are getting the animals out of the castle, I think. And the Bowtruckles are coming tomorrow night. Hurry!"

Sephy scrambled up to get changed for practice, her mind whirring. So they were right! And James knew how it was all working! Suddenly the idea of stopping the smugglers became all the more real for her. Quidditch wasn't on her mind at all.

She hesitated as she reached for the gloves Nashville had bought her. She'd been wearing them in the match she broke her elbow, and in training, and they were very good. She was worried, though, that Nashville suspected that the seven of them were into some mischief. She didn't know how she knew. She just suspected.

Quickly plaiting her hair into French plaits, she grabbed her helmet from her bedside and met up with James.

"Nash has already gone down" he told her. She sucked her lip.