First Quidditch Match Ⅲ

Creeping through the front entrance of Hogwarts Rowan peers into the castle unable to spot anyone. She knew she wouldn't make it in time and closed her eyes. She could not teleport far, but she could teleport to a location nearby Filch's office. She soundlessly vanishes and appears in an empty corridor.

Abruptly, Rowan feels drained and weak by the teleportation stumbling forward to lean against the wall. She swallows feeling her mouth dry and reorients herself, before pressing forward despite her fatigue. She stops at the edge of the two corridors and peeks around towards the office of Caretaker Argus Filch.

The enchanted portraits in the hall slyly peek at Rowan and curiosity at James who is on the other side of the hall intent on sneaking towards Filch's open door. The only relief that Rowan felt is that James still does not have the infamous Potter invisible cloak. Fleamont Potter had yet to gift the invisible clock to his heir. That being said, an invisible cloak would be mighty useful in this situation.

Trying to not make a sound, Rowan tries to signal to James from across the corridor. James is far too preoccupied to notice her soundless gestures stealthily pressed to the wall like a gecko. Seeing that James can't and won't take a hint, she reaches for her wand and braces her feet against the ground.

The instant James peers around the corner of the open door, Rowan sprints forward charging at James at full speed. James's hazel eyes turn around in shock as Rowan points her wand blindly into the office. "Fumos!" She shouts causing yellow sparks to emerge from the tip of her wand and fill the chamber with a cloud of smoke to obscure them from view.

Grabbing James by the hand, Rowan drags him away as a stream of loud curses from inside the open office. "Mrs. Norris!" Filch roared. "Find those nasty brats!" A sharp meow can be heard as Mrs. Norris rushes out of the room in search of the culprits.

"Run fool!" Rowan hissed at James who is dragging his feet, who finally reacts and begins to run alongside her.

The two of them run down the stairs leaping over the last two steps to land on the ground. They scramble forward as Mrs. Norris meows sounding louder closing in on them. Abruptly Rowan drags James into an empty classroom and shuts the door behind them. The two of them try not to breathe as they hear the soft padding of Mrs. Norris's paws. Mrs. Norris meows angrily and moves forward searching for the culprits.

They both let out breaths of relief as they slump weakly against the door. The two of them stare at each other blankly for a moment, before bursting into laughter. Their laughs fade away and Rowan feels something warm in her hand. She glances down to see that she is clutching James's hand. She instantly releases James's hand and climbs back to her feet.

"Don't be such a fool next time," Rowan grumbled not looking at James but rather at the dusty classroom. "Next time check first before you attempt such a thing."

"The older boys said that all the professors attended the Quidditch matches," James sheepishly replied as he rose to his feet. "It sounded like a good idea at the time."

"Filch is a caretaker," Rowan drily retorted.

James sheepishly shrugs, "Sorry, it was an honest mistake."

"Mm," Rowan murmured distracted by a dusty sheet in the corner of the classroom covering up what appears to be a cabinet of sorts.

"Anyway, thanks for saving my galleons, Rowan" James gratefully said sheepishly running a hand through his unruly hair. "But how did you know what I was going to do?"

"Because of the three other idiots," Rowan distantly muttered walking over to the corner of the classroom.

"Idiots?" James crossly huffed to himself.

"Maybe, but what does that say about you?" James pointedly said to Rowan.

Rowan mumbles an inaudible reply not even paying the least bit of attention to James. Curious, she pulls back the edge of the sheet only to spot silver claws at the bottom of a glassy surface. A dreadful chill darts down her back in recognition of the magical mirror.

"What is that?" James curiously asked approaching Rowan from behind.

"Nothing of interest," Rowan lied covering the Mirror of Erised back up. The Mirror of Erised showed one of their most desperate desires, and frankly, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

"If you say so," James muttered still unconvinced. "But seriously, what is it?"

"A mirror that shows you things that should never be seen by the light of day," Rowan somewhat truthfully replied.

Seeing Rowan's somber reply James feels a tad guilty. "Anyway, what I meant to say before is thanks."

"Mm," Rowan muttered as she turned away. "And though it pains me to say this, I've grown rather fond of you four including you, James."

James chuckles ruefully and says, "Me too. Who knew I'd ever be friends with a Slytherin?"

Rowan snorts, "Mrs. Norris, should be gone now. We should be able to safely head back now." Rowan doesn't wait for James to reply opening the door to the classroom and slipping out into the hall.

James hurries after Rowan as they carefully make their way back to the quidditch stands. Once on the open grounds, they rush back only to hear the roar of Prefect Wilkes even from a distance. "And Slytherin wins, 160 to 110!"

Rowan stops where she stands staring at the nearby quidditch stands. "Since the match is over, there is no point in going forward."

"So, it is," James wryly commented back as the chilly wind fluttered their hair and robes.

In the distance, three running figures can be seen running towards them, Lupin, Sirius, and Pettigrew. Out of breath, the three boys breathlessly come to a standstill before them. "So, did you get caught?" Peter painfully panted cradling his aching side.

Sirius rolls his eyes and wheezes, "Of course, they didn't! Blimey Pettigrew, they wouldn't be here otherwise!" Peter shrugs as if the thought had truly not occurred to him.

"So, how did you avoid Filch?" Remus breathlessly asked with gleaming eyes.

James glances at Rowan, who ignores the question. "I'll be going." Rowan strides to the stands to find Severus and her friends.

"Huh," Sirius remarked at Rowan's abrupt departure.

Remus raises an eyebrow at James and suspiciously asks, "You didn't do anything to Rowan, did you, James?"

James rolls his eyes and snaps back. "Of course not!"

Peter mutters something inaudible under his breath as Sirius raises an eyebrow at his chubby friend. "You don't like her very much do you, Peter?" Sirius remarked.

Peter flushed in embarrassment as Remus drily says, "I get the feeling it is a rather mutual dislike to be perfectly honest."

Lupin, James, and Sirius all furrow their brows in thought as they recall the past. "Mm, I think you're right," James finally said. "But I don't think she hates Peter and I think the same can be said about Pete, right?"

Peter coughed and hastily changed the subject. "James, did you set off the dung bomb?"

"No, I didn't have a chance to as Rowan grabbed me before I could," James regretfully answered as they all sigh a bit in disappointment.

"Well, there's always next time," Peter fervently hoped imagining himself as the hero of their next adventure.

"That's the spirit, Pettigrew!" Sirius proudly said slapping Pettigrew on the back. Loudly chattering the Marauders eagerly discuss new ideas and plans. Want not, waste not for they still had a dung bomb left to use.