Chapter 94: A Piece of Cake (2)

After the heartwarming show of support, Catherine found herself more at ease with her temporary hair loss. Whenever a Slytherin attempted to mock her, a chorus would rise, proclaiming her the queen of Gryffindor. Though this solidarity provided some comfort, Catherine secretly longed for anonymity. The surplus of attention only heightened her self-consciousness. Nonetheless, she chose to discard the wig in favour of a scarf, expertly tied in a fashionable turban style with Gwyneth's help.

However, her composure faced a severe test on Thursday afternoon as she made her way to Ancient Runes. Standing before the door were Lily, who should have been in Arithmancy at that hour, and Snape, his posture tense as he stared fixedly at the floor, radiating palpable tension.

Catherine hadn't seen the Slytherin face to face since their encounter during the previous week. It seemed that Madame Pomfrey had fixed his nose and mouth, but judging from the way he looked at her, their feud was far from over. In all honesty, the young witch didn't feel particularly intimidated, but she did feel awkward. Her limited experience with human relations hadn't prepared her for how to interact with someone who hated her so much that he hexed her hair off, nor did she know how to behave towards someone whom she had punched.

Lily sensed the uncomfortable atmosphere and wasted no time, jumping between her friends.

"Catherine, wait! Severus wants to tell you something." – she turned towards the Slytherin, her emerald-green eyes flashing threateningly – "Come on! We already rehearsed that!"

Snape opened his mouth and murmured something incomprehensible.

"I beg your pardon?" – Catherine asked, her chin held high, arms crossed in front of her.

"I apologise for my ill-considered decision to use a Hair-Removing Hex on you." – he said slowly, articulating every word – "It is not a proper way to behave towards anyone, but especially not towards…a lady."

Upon saying the last part, Snape's black eyes blazed with such intense dislike that Catherine thought he might choke on his own words. After a few seconds of contemplation, the young witch met his gaze fearlessly and smirked.

"Unfortunately, Snape, I do not believe in empty apologies, and your regret is as genuine as mine about breaking your nose."

"Daisy!" – moaned Lily, desperately, but Catherine had already entered the classroom. Snape followed her example a few minutes later, and to the girl's surprise, he appeared much more relaxed when he sat next to her, going about his business as usual.

'Is he relaxed because Lily counted this as a successful apology attempt or would he have felt more humiliated if I had accepted the apology?' – thought the young witch, shaking her head in confusion, attempting to concentrated on Professor Oakenscript, who had just started explaining the particles and clitics in the ancient languages and how they were transcribed via runic symbols.

Eventually, the Gryffindor decided that her and Snape not being in an open war was good enough as an outcome. Therefore, she resolved to focus on much more important things, such as the upcoming Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

On Saturday, the Quidditch pitch was alive with energy as students wearing the respective colours of both teams gathered to witness the highly anticipated match between the two houses. The air was charged with excitement as the teams took to the sky on their broomsticks, ready to fight for the victory they equally needed.

Catherine was sitting, snuggled close to Remus, behind the Gryffindor cheering squad, led by Peter as usual. Though she wasn't cold, in the presence of so many people, she felt an overwhelming need for support, and Moony was always her rock she could rely on.

The game began with a fierce competition for the Quaffle, with both teams displaying impressive teamwork and strategy. Owen Spinnet, Daisy Diggory, and Philippa Finch, the Hufflepuff's chasers, showed remarkable agility, weaving through Gryffindor's defence with skilful passes and precise shots on goal. However, Greg McMahon, managed to block several scoring attempts, frustrating the Hufflepuff offense, including through performing a jaw-dropping Full-Stretch Save.

Meanwhile, James was scanning the skies in search of the elusive Golden Snitch. Despite Bennett Thornfield, who was the Hufflepuff's seeker, putting up a valiant effort, it was the Gryffindor who ultimately spotted the Snitch first, darting through the air with incredible speed.

As the match progressed, Marvolo Wood and Dominic Woods effectively controlled the Bludgers, creating openings for their teammates and disrupting Hufflepuff's offensive plays. Sirius, Patrick, and Marigold capitalised on these opportunities, executing seamless passes, and executing precision shots to widen the point gap even further to 60 to 0.

At this moment, James dived from seventy metres, performing a perfect Broomstick Spin. Before anyone could even react, the Golden Snitch was struggling in the Gryffindor Seeker's hand. The crowd in red and gold roared in delight. Their team had won in less than twenty minutes, bringing their house one win away from the dream of winning the Quidditch Cup. The players made a few triumphant rounds, greeting their fans before landing on the ground. One particular point of interest was Greg who made a deliberate effort to fly his broom past Lily, personally greeting her. This gesture left the usually composed girl with a face as red as her hair.

The gesture left a lasting impression, simultaneously dampening the mood for James Potter. Despite being hailed as the main hero for Gryffindor's victory, he appeared as grim as a storm cloud when he and Sirius left the Changing Rooms, making their way towards the castle where their classmates were already gearing up to celebrate.

"One would think we've lost the match." – chuckled Sirius teasingly.

"I can't stand him!" – growled James, kicking every pebble that appeared in front of his eyes.

"Who? McMahon?" – the other boy asked, grinning.

"Obviously! I hate how he pretends he's so modest when he's constantly showing off, especially in front of the girls! Have you seen him up there after the match?" – James ranted, ruffling his black hair with annoyance – "Wipe that stupid smirk off your face! You could show some sympathy!"

"I'm sorry, mate, but for the first time, this peacock of a wizard is not my problem! The less he's around Flame, the better!" – shrugged Sirius unapologetically.

"But now he's constantly around Evans!" – complained the other wizard sulkily.

"So? It's not like she wants to be around you anyway!"

"Weren't you supposed to be my best friend?" – snapped James.

"I am, but as Catherine likes to say: if I don't tell you the truth when you don't want to hear it, are we really that close?" – Sirius stated confidently.

"It's one thing to be honest, and completely different to make fun of me!" – James exclaimed, his face flushing with anger.

"I'm not making fun of you, mate!" – the other Gryffindor insisted, shaking his head with an amicable smile – "But lately, you've been giving off a hint of desperation. That might not be the best approach to win over a girl."

"Says the expert! I keep forgetting you've already won over countless hearts in your fourteen years!" – James retorted sarcastically.

"The number of Valentine's cards I've received speaks for itself." – the wizard grinned – "Three more than you, if I'm not mistaken. Besides, I'm not aiming to become an expert on girls. As long as I…"

James glanced in Sirius' direction and sighed audibly. Though unspoken, it was evident to the entire school that Sirius Black's attention was fixated solely on one person, a devotion that had persisted since their first day aboard the Hogwarts Express. James suspected his best friend refrained from voicing his feelings, perhaps out of fear of rejection and the potential strain it could place on his friendship with Catherine. James, himself, was uncertain about how Flame would react to such a confession. She typically gave the impression she wasn't interested in any romantic advances and promptly deflected compliments and suggestions, especially those from Sirius. Perhaps she, too, was apprehensive about jeopardising the bond they all shared. In any case, James sympathised with Sirius more than he showed, deciding to set aside his own concerns and ponder about Lily and the boys orbiting around her some other time.

"You know, I'll be damned if I let someone screw up our victory party!" – the Gryffindor Seeker roared, jumping up and down a few times to release all the pent-up frustration – "Let's hurry up and grab some food and drinks from the Kitchens! We're so fucking close to winning the Cup!"

"It's practically in the bag!" – agreed Sirius, amused by James' sudden burst of energy – "I'll tell you what – if we snag first place this year, I'll plant one on Greg McMahon right in front of everyone!"

"You better start practicing then!" – James joked, laughing heartily – "I mean your defensive spells, because the majority of the witches at Hogwarts will come after you if you steal a kiss from our virtuous little lord!"