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third year,
quidditch loss and
centaur's trust
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Quidditch training left very little time to do anything else, Aimee didn't have time to read or when she did she was too tired. However, all that training was leading up to the first Quidditch match of the season, Slytherin Verses Gryffindor.
She sat in the dressing rooms, checking that her Quidditch kit was properly fitted, she took her broom. Standing beside Evan as he had also made Chaser for the Slytherin team, the captain hyped up the team, though she wasn't paying much attention.
They all mounted their brooms, and flew into the stadium, flying around as the Slytherin crowd cheered. She had never realised just how many students were at Hogwarts until she saw them all staring down at them from the stands.
The Gryffindor team flew out next, the remaining houses Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor house cheered for the Gryffindor team. She noticed that how they were positioned meant she was supposed to shadow Potter. He had been playing Quidditch a whole year longer than her.
"We value fair play, any funny business and you'll be out of the game," Madam Hooch stated as she released the quaffle.
The chasers raced after the quaffle, James managed to reach it before she did. Aimee flew behind him hoping to try and prevent him from getting the quaffle through the hoops. He managed to get score 10 points for Gryffindor, she huffed as she raced towards the quaffle.
One of the beaters for the Slytherin team hit a bludger towards Evan who helped assisted Aimee in retrieving the quaffle. He caught the quaffle throwing it to her, who flew towards the hoops guard by the Gryffindor keeper, she threw the Quaffle back to him catching the keeper off guard, scoring 10 points for Slytherin.
The game had been going for almost 30 minutes the score was 50 points for Gryffindor, 40 points for Slytherin. she flew beside Regulus, telling him to go for the golden snitch. She had very little contact with Sirius until now.
She had the quaffle racing towards the hoops, then Potter was right behind her closing in, as was another Gryffindor chaser. Sirius knew if he hit a bludger in their direction that two Gryffindor chasers would move in time. However, he hesitated when he noticed her between them.
"Regulus Black has caught the snitch, Slytherin wins,"
The Slytherin team along with the Slytherin crowd cheered, while the Gryffindor team slumped down as they went to the changing room. Aimee wrapped her arms around Regulus, thrilled that they had won the first game they played. Evan wrapped his arms around her lifting her up as he spun her around.
Sirius looked on the Slytherin team, James nudged his shoulder a little harder than he normally would, as he walked out of the quidditch stadium. He took one last look at them, she smiled so brightly, he couldn't help but frown as he knew Remus, the girls and even Regulus were right. He had treated her poorly and he was paying the price for it.
Once the Gryffindor team were back in the common room, James took Sirius aside, which caught Peter and Remus' curiosity, they sat on the sofa near enough that they could hear their conversation. Remus opened a book to appear as though he wasn't listening to them
"You've never played that bad before, what happened out there?" James asked
"Aimee happened," Remus coughed to hide what he said,
"Is that true?" James asked, "You played badly because Burke was playing too,"
"What?" Sirius asked, "why would you think that's the reason?"
"Because even though you broke up with her-
"For the last Rem, we weren't really dating,"
"Fine, you might not have been dating, but you miss her I can tell you do,"
"So he misses her, she's with Evan now probably making out all the time and shit," James said, shuddering at the thought.
"Yeah, then next you know they'll be taking their relationship further, Aimee will stop hanging out with us all together," Remus added
"I'm standing right here," Sirius said
"Oh yeah," James said
"Why are you bothered if we're talking about Aimee's relationship, aren't you dating Layla?" Peter questioned
"Yes, Sirius why are you bothered, you have Layla?" James taunted
"I'm not it's just Rosier he gets under my skin,"
"Yeah because you still like her," Peter said
"I don't like her, alright will you all get off my back about her," Sirius said, storming away up to his room, James, Remus and Peter crossed their arms shaking their heads.
"He's going to realise eventually right?" Peter asked
"Yeah, when it's too late," James said.
"I know what we'll do, come on I have a plan," Remus said,
The three boys gathered around cooking up the perfect plan to get Sirius to realise his feelings for Aimee. They needed to make him jealous, and Evan Rosier was the key to that. It would only be a matter of time before he broke up with Layla, he realised early into their relationship that they had next to nothing in common.
Aimee and Evan however, that was different they could see that they were good together. Remus didn't like the thought of purposely getting between them. There was a small part of him that believe they wouldn't last, Aimee's values were totally different to his.
He looked down on people like Lily and Mary; muggle-borns. Aimee however never saw Lily or Mary as lesser than herself, she saw them as equals and in some areas better than her. Remus believed that would somehow drive them apart.
***
A week later, Regulus realised that today was Sirius 14th birthday, what he found most unusual was that Aimee didn't bother to get him a card or a present for his birthday. Regulus took his card for Sirius to Gryffindor Tower, he waited for someone to come out it was early in the morning.
He didn't have to wait as long as he thought, as Alice Fortescue and Frank Longbottom walked out. Regulus asked if Frank could give Sirius his birthday card for him. Which he agreed though he and Alice were going to breakfast first, as Regulus left he knew two of Sirius' friends had also left the Gryffindor dormitory.
He didn't know their names, just that they hung around with Sirius and Potter. Regulus met with Evan and Aimee in the Great Hall, Sirius noticed that Evan was whispering in Aimee's ear. He didn't know what he was saying, though the large smile on her face irritated him.
As the class was due to start everyone left for their potions class, Aimee and Evan sat at the back of the class. While Layla and Sirius sat at the opposite side of the potions room. Layla noticed his glances at Aimee, she acted as though she didn't notice.
"I'm going to hang out with Severus for a bit, you going to be alright?" Evan asked as they left class, Aimee nodded, Evan pressed his lips against hers before heading the opposite way with Severus
"Hey, Aimee wait a second!" Remus called through the crowd of students.
"Hi, Rem is everything alright?" she asked, as he seemed out of breath pushing through the crowd
"Yes, I just wanted to invite you to Sirius' birthday party,"
"Oh, thank you, but I promised Reg I'd help him with his transfiguration work,"
"Alright, well if you can make it, I'm sure Sirius would love it," Remus said, she was about to answer when he continued "and bring Regulus too, he is Sirius' brother after all,"
"Okay, if I can find the time, I'll come," she told him,
Remus smiled at her, opening his arms, she hugged him. Hugging Remus was similar to hugging one of her brothers, as he was almost as tall as her brother Danny. She thought that her spare time would be perfect to stretch her legs, once she was close to Hagrid's hut.
She morphed into a white dog, darting through the forbidden forest, the freedom she felt to run through the trees, jump over logs. Not having to be responsible for anything in that moment, all she needed sometimes, was to get away for a little while.
While she hurried through the forest, chasing smaller animals, such as squirrels and nifflers the white dog almost ran straight into another creature. He has the head, arms and torso of a human, with a horses body, he was a centaur. She knew they lived in the forbidden forest but never thought she would see one herself.
"Young witch is far from the school?" he spoke,
"You know I'm a witch," she asked unknowingly
"Yes, animagi are not like regular animals we centaurs are able to tell the difference," he said, the dog's ear pricked up she didn't think he would understand her.
"How can you understand me?"
"What brings you out here?" he asked ignoring her question
"I just wanted to go for a run,"
"The forest is forbidden to all students, it's been that way for three years now," the centaur moved towards her, guiding her out of the forest, the white dog walked beside the centaur
"This is as far as I go," he spoke, he bowed his head to her turning around
"Wait!" she said, the centaur turned around to face her. "What's your name?"
"Torvus," he said, before cantering away through the forest.
Later that night, all of Sirius' friends had gone to the room of requirements which James had found earlier that year, they held his birthday party there. As Dorcas and Emmeline weren't able to come without having to be snuck inside Gryffindor Tower. He looked around for Aimee and Regulus, but they never showed. Layla knew that he was hoping she would come.
"Hey," she said
"Hi, you want to dance?" Sirius asked, smiling at her
"In a bit, are you alright?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"I just can't help but notice you miss her don't you,"
"What? I don't-
"Sirius, I'm not blind, you and Aimee dated-
"We broke up-
"I know, but I don't think you wanted to, I think you still have feelings for her,"
"Layla I-
"I don't want you to be with me because you feel you have to, I want you to be happy, if that's not with me, then that's fine, we weren't really going anywhere, were we?" Layla told him, smiling at him softly, Sirius held his arm out she hugged him.
"I'm sorry,"
"Don't be, you can't help who you have feelings for"
Sirius hoped that Layla understood that he didn't mean to hurt her, though James saw the whole thing and he didn't think she looked hurt at all. Almost like they were wrong to get together in the first place, having nothing in common, whereas with Aimee they had a lot in common, they fit together.
Sirius feared he may have waited too long to find that out.