Nighttime Practice [Kacie]

[``james ignotus potter]

James Potter woke up and looked around. Again, he couldn't sleep. His dreams had been filled with nothing besides Lily Evans, the most beautiful, smart, funny person he had ever met. She was the only girl he knew that could outwit him. He sighed softly to himself, running his hand through his hair. Why couldnt they just be together? They hadnt talked in a while, and he figured it was because they were both busy right now. Her with schoolwork, and him with schoolwork and Quidditch. He put his glasses on and then glanced quickly at his watch and saw that it was only 11 PM. Hell, he could go do whatever.

He silently got out of bed and put some regular clothes on and then grabbed his wand, tucking it in his back pocket. He didnt want to wake Sirius, Remus or Peter up. For some reason, he felt like doing this alone tonight. Sometimes he got that way, and Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail all knew to leave him alone when he was in a mood like that.

He walked down to the common room and then to the portrait. The Fat Lady mumbled something as he walked by, but the Gryffindor just ignored her and kept walking. He ended up wandering around for a little bit, and then finally made his way down to the main entrance. He stood there a moment, debating on if he should go outside or not. After a second he decided it was worth the risk.

He quickly walked out the door onto the grounds and then smiled. He knew exactly where he was going to go. He walked towards the Quidditch Pitch, basically his second home. He was the Captain of the Gryffindor team, and loved flying. He spent as much time as he could out at the Pitch. He grabbed his wand out of his pocket and muttered "Accio broom.." He heard his broom coming through the forest and then, when it got close enough, he reached out and grabbed it. He put his wand in his pocket and then mounted the broom and took off into the air, around the Pitch.

[``kacie marie helms]

Kacie scowled at the Fifth Year in the common room, wand raised threateningly. She wasn't above hexing a little Slytherin because she had her broom, and everyone in the common room knew it. She glared at the girl, unsurprised when she hissed an insult at her. Without hesitation, she hexed the girl, earning a few "oohs" around the room as the girl dropped the broom on the ground with a yelp, and began to tend to her burned bum. Growling obsenities at the girl, she stalked out of the common room, broom in one hand, snitch in the other. She needed to fly.

She was so...furious. She was tired of the Slytherins, tired of everything. She hadn't spoken to Sirius since the incident by the lake, but she still felt like she needed to talk to him, for some reason. He had soothed her that night, had made her feel like a normal person. Now, she felt as lonely and bitter as she always had been. She had no friends, she had no one to vent to. She couldn't express her ideas, let alone be friendly with anyone, because they would simply ignore her, glare at her. Something to make her feel like dragon dung. Her wand was tucked safely in her pocket for now. She had insulted quite a few Slytherins by wearing this attire, but she simply ignored them, only once stating that "they were more comfortable than those rags you call robes". She had already hexed three Slytherins, not counting the Fifth Year from just a moment ago, and deuled a fellow Sixth Year just this afternoon. She needed to cool down, and Quidditch was just the way to do it. She needed to make the team look good anyway, no matter how terrible they were at the sport, nor how much she hated them.

She wandered the corridors, thankful that she passed no one else. She had forgotten her Prefect badge in her dorm room. Kacie eventually reached the exit of the castle, and she hated the fact that she had to climb stairs to reach it, instead of ascending them. She hated the dungeons; they were dark, cold and damp, a combination that Kacie was not too fond of.

She breathed in a sigh of relief as she stepped onto the Quidditch pitch. She did not notice the presence of another figure in the air. She simply released the snitch, mounted her broom, and waited. When the snitch was nowhere in sight, she took off, flying through the night air across the pitch. It was pitch dark, and it was excellent practice. If one could find a snitch in the dark, one can find it in the light of day. There was barely any light from the moon, and as she felt the wind blow through her hair, she sighed in contentment.

[``james ignotus potter]

James smiled softly as he flew around the Pitch. He loved everything about flying. The wind whipping through his hair, the coo stunts he could do. He also liked being Captain of the Gryffindor Team, and took his job seriously, as much as it surprised some people. The only dissappointment about the Quidditch team was that niehter Moony nor Padfoot had joined. James frowned slightly, as he thought about that. Why hadn't they joined? They were both excellent players, for they had played at James house, well, he and Sirius had. Remus seemed like a good flyer, but James could guess why he was staying away. He didnt want anyone else finding anything out. James wondered if maybe he could get Sirius to join. At least then he would have someone to joke around with if the practice went bad, or they lost a game.

He smiled softly and pulled the broom up, just hoovering in mid air.for the moment, looking out over the pitch to see the Forbidden Forest, and the Black Lae. He loved everything about Hogwarts as a matter of fact, and was very sad that he would have to leave it all very soon. This had been his second home for the past six and a half years, and now, in less than a year, it would all be gone. He wouldn't be here anymore. He shook his head, telling himself that he didn't need to worrya bout stuff like that right now. Its not like he was going to lose his best friends or anything, he was just leaving school. He, Padfoot and Moony, and Wormtail for that matter, had all decided that they would at least stay in touch with each other, and that they would always be the Mauderers. They would never let distance, and the fact that they weren't in school anymore, come between them

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something go whizzing by his face. He glanced around, wondering what it could have been. He caught a glimpse of gold and immediatly figured that it was the Snitch. He shook his head, a bewildered look coming onto his face. Who else was out here? Or did the Snitch get out? He knew that the Snitch getting out by itself was probably impossible, but hey, you never knew. He sighed and went tearing after it. He smiled as he felt the wind through his hair. Why he wasnt a seeker, he didnt know, the posistion of Chase had just appealed to him more.

He glanced to his left and saw someone else coming after the Snitch. He smirked and continued to tear after the Snitch, trying to give this other person, whoever he or she might be, a run for their money. He had to admit though, this other person seemed to be a seeker, because they were keeping up with him pretty well.

[``kacie marie helms]

Kacie sighed as she flew through the night. It was a soothing encounter, flying. The adrenaline rushed through her veins as she thought of the ground, hundreds of feet below her. The wind whipped through her hair, brushing it out of her face. She would have smiled, had she not been so concerned with finding the snitch and the invisible insects that flew through the air. Wouldn't want to get one stuck in her teeth, now, would she? Whether out of excitement or of boredom, she did a few stunts, flying around in circles, diving until she was just a few feet above the ground, before zooming back up again. She was glad that she had decided to fly tonight. Flying had always helped her clear her mind, in the past. Though tonight, it seemed to make her think more. Thankfully, about matters other than what had occured earlier that day. A single person's face filled her mind, and she smiled softly as his image smiled at her, his silver eyes glinting brightly.

She remembered the night with Sirius Black, one of the Marauders, quite precicely. As the broom slowed, becoming immobile on the pitch, she stared over her broom at the Black Lake. She sighed, remembering their encounter with a sense of wistfullness and hope. They had not seen each other since that night, and she couldn't help but find that she was missing him. She hated the idea that he was already getting to her. Besides, he was a Marauder. She should have known that he wouldn't want to speak with her outside of that night, however understanding the may have been before. She'd had yet to meet a bloke as fascinating and kind as him, however many innuedos he may have made then. She was used to those, though. He had almost reminded her of her brother, Thomas. He knew things about her that only her family knew, and he took it seriously, and understood everything she said. Sure, they had hit a couple rough patches now and then, what with the conversation concerning his brother. She had decided then and there, that if she found out anything new, she would tell him. He might believe in his own facade, that he hated his brother, but she knew otherwise. She knew that he would worry about Regulus. It was a natural reaction among siblings.

Suddenly, she realized that she was not the only one on the pitch. A large, dark figure flew in the distance, and she noticed something fly by his ear, and she was off like a bullet, chasing the snitch quickly, giving it her undivided attention. She frowned, faintly noticing that the figure was coming after the snitch, as well. She smirked at him, deciding to play a little bit. She sped forward, past the figure, ahead of him. She wasn't the Slytherin's best Seeker in a decade for no reason. Without hesitation, she reached forward, and captured the snitch. She stopped the broom abruptly - an act that very few students on a broom were able to do - and grinned. She pushed her hair out of her face, barely breaking a sweat, her emerald green eyes glinting in triumph. She turned to dock points from the student that decided it would be fun to play a game of Seek-The-Snitch with her, when she froze. James Potter was the other player on the pitch, a Seventh Year Gryffindor and captain of their team. Her hand instinctively went to her robes, prepared in case he planned to hex her. "What are you doing out here, Potter?" She demanded.

[``james ignotus potter]

James smirked as he continued to try and get the Snitch. Merlin he loved being the seeker. He felt the wind rush through his hair and smiled again. He missed this. He wished he could do it every day, and not have to go to some stupid classes, or do his stupid Head Boy duties. He was only 17 for crying out loud. Wasnt he allowed to have a little fun? He smirked and leaned even farther forward on his broom, gaining speed. He was just thinking about reaching out and grabbing the Snitch, but the next thing he knew, the other person, whoever he or she was, already had the Snitch. He pulled his broom up on the spot and looked at the figure. After a second he looked at the Snitch, wondering how the person had caught it so fast.

He heard the voice, and sighed to himself. Just great., it was actually someone he knew. It was Kacie Helms, one of the Slytherin Prefects. He had met her a few days ago up in the towers, and he liked her, as much as he could like a Slytherin. He tried to put that behind him though, telling himself that she didnt seem like the typical Slytherin. He said, "Awww quiet Helms...I could ask you the same question..." He didn't really feel like being questioned right now. He smirked slightly and then pointed to her wand and said, "You can put that away, I'm not planning on hexing you or anything...not today anyway..." He had just HAD to add that last part. It was just something he did. He messed around with people, him and Padfoot both did. He just happened to know when to stop, usually. Padfoot on the other hand, sometimes got out of control, especially if they were pulling a prank on Snape.

He turned his attention back to Kacie and said, "So, now I see why you caught that so fast...man...you have to teach me how to do that..." This time, he was actually being serious. Even the seeker on the Gryffindor team wasn't as skilled as Kacie. But like James had said, now that he knew who it was, it explained everything. He had heard rumors about how good Kacie was, but had never had a chance to actually see it for himself. He now knew that the Gryffindor Team would have to practice even harder than they already were to beat this Slytherin team. He tried to lighten the mood and said, "So, shall we try it again?"

[``kacie marie helms]

She saw him sigh, and glowered at him. She was most certainly not in the cheeriest of moods, and just when she was getting a hold on her temper, the likes of Potter had to show up. He reminded her of Sirius quite a bit, but not enough for her to excuse his behavior. Just as Sirius would go overboard on Snape now and then, he had done so to her on a few occasions. The most recent one, however funny she may have found it, was still embarrasing. The Marauders somehow managed to sneak into the house dorms, and took a pair of knickers from all female students fifth year and up. They had taken her favorite pair - scarlet, the hem covered with black lace - and displayed all of the pairs they had recoved for all of Hogwarts to see in the Great Hall. The sad part was that they had chosen one pair from each house, and dubbed them "sexiest in the house". She could only remember hers being given that "marvelous" honor for Slytherin House, and Lily Evans for Gryffindor, only because her screams of outrage were the loudest, next to her own. She could faintly remember the encounter she had with him and Helena Berkeley in the North Tower, and still struggled to block it all out. He said, "Awww quiet Helms...I could ask you the same question..." She scowled at him, her eyebrows narrowed. She didn't bother commenting to him; he would only come back with a smart ass retort. He smirked slightly and then pointed to her wand and said, "You can put that away, I'm not planning on hexing you or anything...not today anyway..." He had just HAD to add that last part. She growled in agitation. "Hex me and I'll find a pair of your knickers to put on display. I'm pretty sure Evans will appreciate catching sight of those tighty-whities." She grinned impishly at him, her eyes flashing mischeviously. She would get payback on him sooner or later for that prank. She wasn't like Evans, who would simply yell and go on about her business. Revenge, for her, was a dish best served cold.

He turned his attention back to Kacie and said, "So, now I see why you caught that so fast...man...you have to teach me how to do that..." This time, he seemed to actually be serious. She raised an incredulous eyebrow at Potter. "Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all, "A good player doesn't reveal her secrets." Even the seeker on the Gryffindor team wasn't as skilled as Kacie, and she knew that. She wasn't going to give Potter the opportunity to beat her team. She needed at least something to be proud about, and being a good Seeker was it. He seemed to be trying to lighten the mood as he said, "So, shall we try it again?"

Kacie nodded in agreement, releasing the snitch. It flew out of her hand quickly, disappearing into the night. She stared into the darkness patiently. "On the count of three," she instructed, "Three, two...one!" and she was off, racing into the night. She looked about her as she flew, searching for the small fleck of gold. Something glinted in the distance, from the light of the moon, and she raced towards it, only to be disappointed as it few into the darkness once more. "Drat!" She growled. She sat still then, remembering her strategy. She was silent, her eyes closed, listening carefully, tapping into the senses her time as an animagus had allowed her to gain. She could hear the wind blowing the trees, and...a fluttering sound, like golden wings flying through the night. She opened her eyes once more, following the sound. Her broom was steady beneath her, following all mental orders she gave it. The wind blew through her hair, and she could see it, in the distance. She pushed the broom faster still, racing towards the target before her...

[``james ignotus potter]

James sighed to himself as Kacie didnt have a comment about him saying he could ask her the same question. He couldn't help but let a small smirk crawl onto his face when he heard what Kacie said about his "tighty whities" He mockingly glared at her, knowing that she would just be getting him back for what he and Sirius had done to the girls a while back. They had snuck in and taken a pair of panties from each girl, and then hung the best ones up for everyone to see. They had hung Lily's up, which had pained James, but he knew he had to, or else the guys would have made fun of him. Usually he didn't let peer pressure get to him, but on that occasion, it had. They had chosen one from each house, and he couldn't remember the other two, but he knew that they had hung Kacie's and Lily's up. He wanted to say sorry, to take it back, and be friends, but for some reason, he didn't think he could with Kacie. He finally thought of something and said, "Go ahead, maybe then she'll actually look at me..." Inside though, he knew how much he wanted Lily to be with him, but he didn't know if Kacie would be able to tell or not. She would probably think he was just messing around.

He heard Kacie's voice again and couldnt help but smile. He should have known he wouldn't teach him how she did that, but hey, it was worth a shot right? He pretended to pout and said, "Awww, come on Helms...you won't teach me? Even if I promise not to show anyone else how you do it?" They were rivals, plain and simple. You never shared anything with the opposite team, so if she decided not to show him, James knew he couldn't hold it against her, because he knew that if he thought she would tell her team, he wouldn't share anything with her either.

James ran a hand through his hair and smirked as he watched Kacie let the Snitch go again. Good, she was going to accept his challenge. He knew he probably had little chance of beating her, but hell, he might as well have some fun doing it. This was a challenge to him, something James loved. He always loved challenges. He watched the Snitch disappear and then waited for Kacie's countdown. When she hit one, he was off like a rocket, his eyes scanning the night for any sign of the golden ball. He raced after Kacie, but then caught a glimpse of it somewhere else and was off.

As the wind whipped through his hair, James smiled to himself again, glancing left and right for the Snitch. He finally saw something glitter in front of him, and darted after it, hoping that maybe Kacie hadn't seen it yet, and that he might still have a chance to get it. He leaned over his broom as he got closer and stretched his hands, glancing back one last time to see if Kacie was there...

[``kacie marie helms]

James sighed to himself as Kacie remained silent. He smirked at her comment about his undergarments, then glared at her mockingly. She mirrored his expression, her emerald eyes sparkling with every hint of dislike. She would definitely get him back, as well as the other Marauders - including Sirius, despite how humorous she thought it was of him. They'd regret the day they stole her knickers and put them on display. He looked as if he was thinking of something, long and hard, and then said, "Go ahead, maybe then she'll actually look at me..." Kacie snorted, rolling her eyes at the bloke. "Yeah, and I'm a pureblood," she sneered sarcastically. Her eyes suddenly widened as she realized what she said, and she looked away from Potter quickly, hoping that he hadn't noticed the look on her face. She didn't really mean what she had said, the meanings behind it, that is. She knew that Lily and James would be together sooner or later. They were simply made for each other; there was no other explanation for it.

He smiled at her in response, as if expecting her answer. If that was the case, than he was a smarter bloke than he let on. He should have known that she wouldn't teach him the secrets behind her success; it was idiotic that he thought he could weasel them out of her. He pretended to pout and said, "Awww, come on Helms...you won't teach me? Even if I promise not to show anyone else how you do it?" She shook her head in disbelief. Shrugging, she stated bluntly, "Practice makes perfect." Though she hated the other Slytherins, she wouldn't give away any chances of the others beating them at Quidditch; she was just too competetive. She may skimp on answering questions aloud in class now and then, but she was a smart person. She knew the answers, and she wasn't going to allow her house to gain any more points than necessary. But she would not allow her only chance at enjoying a sport to fly out the window because of a curious Gryffindor. They were rivals, plain and simple. You never shared anything with the opposite team, so if she decided not to show him, he should know he couldn't hold it against her, because it was common knowledge that if he knew or thought she would tell her team, he wouldn't share anything with her either.

James ran a hand through his hair and smirked as he watched Kacie let the Snitch go again. When she hit one, he was off like a rocket, obviously searching for the Snitch in the wrong direction. After awhile, he raced after Kacie, but eventually, he raced off in a different direction.

Kacie followed the Snitch with her eyes, racing after it on her broom. She had saved up for years in order to buy it. She had bought it just before school begun this year, and it was the fastest model yet. It worked out to her advantage. Her eyes scanned the darkness, her thoughts momentarilly distracting her. She saw it once more, fleeing as Potter began to follow it. It was racing straight towards her, Potter following close behind. She stopped her broom, and sat patiently. As the Snitch flew straight at her, she outstretched her hand, closing it as she felt the small, round ball colide with it. She grinned cheekily at the Head Boy, her eyes glinting triumphantly. "I haven't been Seeker three years running for nothing, Potter." She said smugly.

[``james ignotus potter]

The Gryffindor had to hold in a laugh as Kacie copied the same look he was giving her. He heared her voice and that look stayed on his face. James cringed slightly as he heard what Kacie had to say about the whole Lily thing. He knew she was muggleborn, and he had known what she meant behind it. He tried not to let it see that it had gotten to him a little bit, made him doubt if he would ever actually be with the one girl that he had ever had feelings for. Sure they had had that night in the kitchen, but hell, he hadn't seen her around since then, and that had been at least two weeks ago, maybe more. No one knew about that though, and he intended on keeping it that way by pretending that nothing had ever happened, and that Lily Evans still hated his guts. He hated doing it, but he had no choice. He didn't know how Kacie would take it, but he knew Sirius would just laugh at him and everything and joke around. Remus would probably be happy for him instead of teasing him about it.

He laughed softly as Kacie told him the old practice makes perfect quote. How many times had he heard that when he had first joined the Quidditch team? The old captain had told them that at every practice, and it had worked. They had come close to winning the Quidditch Cup those years. James had to admit though, he often used that saying with the current team. He didn't know why he did it, but it seemed to have lit a spark in him when he had heard it, so maybe thats why he was doing it. He smirked and said, "Yah yah yah, I've heard it all before Helms...tell me something I don't know.."

James smirked as he chased after the Snitch. He had glanced behind him and noticed that Kacie wasn't there and had been pleased about that. When he turned back around though, that was a different story. He saw that he was heading towards her, going full speed. Why had she done that? And why wasn't she moving? These were the thoughts going through the 7th year's mind as he bared down on Kacie. He immediatly pulled his broom up and looked at her, studying her face. She didn't seem scared at all. He laughed a little and said, "Geeze Helms, you really are good...but what were you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?"

[``kacie marie helms]

Kacie sighed as several blocked memories flooded her mind. She could remember her father's hard, hate-filled voice as he yelled at her and her brother, could remember the ocassions involving a glass bottle connected to her head. Could remember the outrage her father had felt when she was found on the roof after one of his beatings. She could remember the years of studying and training it took to become an animagus, in order to protect her mother and brother from that horrid man's fits of rage. She could remember her mother's shame and bitterness towards her at the death of the demon she had called a husband, the feeling of being without a home. Of being forced to spend the remaining days of her summer as a wolf lurking in the woods. or as a waitress at the Leaky Cauldron.

She was pulled out from her reverie as Potter's booming laugh filled her ears. Her eyes flickered to him out of habit, and frowned without emotion at his idiotic smirk. "Yah yah yah, I've heard it all before Helms...tell me something I don't know.." She raised a disinterested eyebrow at the Marauder before replying, "The Slytherins hate Red and Gold," she replied, "They'd be pissed if they woke up one day to find their entire dorms, robes, and hair that very shade. Keep me out of the equation, and your little group will have a blast. I know the password," She did not feel guilty at the idea of giving the Marauders the password to the Slytherin common room, as long as they put it to good use, and kept her off of their list of pranks. He might have known the first statement, but she had a feeling he would be quite surprised to know that she hated her own house as much as he did.

Kacie grinned as she stared at the snitch in her hand, tossing the closed golden ball from one hand to the other. When Potter reached her, he pulled up his broom and looked at her, studying her face. She almost felt a bit creeped out by the look, but she then remembered the fact that she was used to it. Anyone who hadn't seen her practice Quidditch gave her that look when she caught the snitch. It was unsettling, but she dealt with it. He laughed a little and said, "Geeze Helms, you really are good...but what were you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?" She simply shook her head in a lazy, Sirius-like manner and replied, "Thanks for the compliment, and no. If I was trying to give you a heart attack, you would have fallen off of your broom by now. Besides," she looked off into the night, her eyes growing a distant look, far from sorrowful, more angry and satisfied, "My father died from a heart attack."

[``james ignotus potter]

James looked at Kacie, a bewildered look on his face. What in the bloody hell had gotten into her? Had she really just said what he thought she had just said? She would seriously give up the password to the Slytherin Common Room to him and his buddies? He eyed her dubiously, wondering if he should trust her or not. There was no reason for her to even offer that. She hated him and the rest of the marauders, yet here she was. James couldn't help but smile a little bit as he thought about it more. Sirius and he would surely have a hayday. He wasn't sure if Peter would join in. He'd been starting to become a little more distant from them lately, and James honestly didnt care about trying to figure out why. Remus would more than likely join in as long as Prongs and Padfoot went. He looked at Kacie, laughing as he said, "I wouldnt being saying that too many times Helms, or else we might actually have to take you up on it...and that probably wouldn't be good for the interhouse relationships, seeing as how they are already bad now.."

He shook his head in amazement once again as she caught the Snitch. He looked at her, noticing something about her that reminded him of someone else he knew. Was it the way she had tilted her head or something? It then finally came to him. Sirius! Thats who she reminded him of. Sirius always did that when he was bored or something, it was one of his quirks. James hadnt really noticed it until this year, but Sirius seemed to be doing it more often now. James shrugged it off, knowing that it probably wasn't important either way. There's no way that Sirius had been with Helms that much, had he? James frowned for a second but then quickly heard Kacie's voice again and dismissed the thoughts that he had been thinking.

He heard her voice and smirked slightly. Yes, she was good, and even though she and James didnt get along, James had felt that skills like hers deserved recognition. He laughed softly when she told him that he'd have fallen off his broom. That was true, he obviously would have, but he was just using it as a figure of speech at that point. What he heard next made him frown slightly. It wasn't so much what Kacie said that bugged him, it was the tone that had been in her voice when she had said it. He decided to not worry about the tone and said, "I'm sorry to hear that....Kacie.." He decided that right then probably wasn't the best time to be calling her Helms.

[``kacie marie helms]

James looked at Kacie, a bewildered look on his face. She smirked back, unsurprised. She could see what he was thinking; it was in his eyes. She did not feel, however, like divulging into details of what she was saying and doing. Yes, she was willingly giving him the Slytherin's password, should he feel need of it. She did not like Potter, though she did dislike the Slytherins far more than she did him. He eyed her dubiously, obviously wondering if he should trust her or not. She merely raised an eyebrow impatiently at him, silently wondering whether he would take her up on her offer or not. A small smile traveled across Potter's face, and she knew that he was considering the possibilities. He looked at Kacie, laughing as he said, "I wouldnt being saying that too many times Helms, or else we might actually have to take you up on it...and that probably wouldn't be good for the interhouse relationships, seeing as how they are already bad now.." Kacie snorted, "You think I actually care about interhouse relationships?" she demanded incredulously, "I'm in the mood for a good laugh, is all, and I'd love to see Snape's face when the next prank rolls around."

He shook his head in amazement once again as she caught the Snitch. He looked at her for a moment, and she began to feel a bit uncomfortable. "Geez, Potter, I know I'm drop-dead gorgeous, but do you need to stare?" She demanded, another Sirius-like action. She couldn't help but feel the need to tease the poor bloke a bit. She had a feeling that she knew how he'd react to her statement, but she didn't care. She merely continued studying the snitch, tossing it from one hand to another, her head cocked to the side, studying as a dog would. Boredom did wonders at times like this. James frowned for a second, as if deep in thought. Kacie chuckled, "Better watch out, Potter. You think too much harder you'll get a brain hemorrage."

He smirked when she spoke again, and she couldn't help but be a bit irritated by it. She wanted to wipe that look off of his face, the bloody arrogant git. She didn't know what it was about him that irritated her so, probably unreasonable dislike. Possibly, it was jealousy. Potter was popular, he had friends, he was a Gryffindor...and he had Sirius. She would give anything just to see him again, to simply talk to him. She enjoyed his company more than she would like to admit, and since that night at the lake...she'd craved his company. She had sent him a few letters now and then, and she would recieve letters in return, however short and brief they might have been. With each letter she sent, however, she had been sure not to sign her name. That was one of the major rules. She wouldn't give herself away if someone stole and read one of the letters, and he wouldn't give himself away in turn. He laughed softly when she told him that he'd have fallen off his broom. What he heard next seemed to make him frown slightly. He then said, "I'm sorry to hear that....Kacie.." She shook her head at the Gryffindor, ignoring the fact that he had called her by her first name. "It's alright," she replied, "Hated the bastard anyway. I'm glad he's gone."

[``james ignotus potter]

James wasn't expecting Kacie to smirk at him, but he just let it drop. Maybe it meant she was warming up to him? He highly doubted it, but hey, you never knew. He sighed softly, wishing that he could take Kacie's offer seriously. Well, actually, he knew he could, he just wasn't sure he wanted to. Sure he was still into pranking people and all that other good stuff, but not as much as before. Now he had been spending most of his time trying to get Lily to talk to him, and then he had finally succeded and now she hadn't been around at all. He knew that if Sirius would go through with this, that he would end up going with him, even if he wasnt there for anything but support. That was just how the gang worked. They were all there for each other...no matter what.

Kacie's voice brought James out of his thoughts and he quickly turned his attention to her and listened to what she had to say. He shrugged and said, "I didn't know if you did or not Helms..." He laughed softly at the picture that Kacie had just put in his mind about Snape. He hated that bloke...well..actually the whole gang hated him, and apparently his own house members didn't seem to like him all that much either. He nodded and said, "Yah, I could just imagine the look on his face..." He and Sirius had been doing stuff to Snape the whole time he had been at Hogwarts, and had even taken to calling him Snivellus. The two of them thought it was just hilarious.

James heard her comment and said, "Awww, Helms...if your that gorgeous, you shouldn't care if people stare at you or not...shouldn't that be like..a compliment or something??" Once again, James was shocked at how much Kacie had just sounded like Sirius right then. Was he losing his mind or something? Well, James had answered her just the way he would have probably answered Sirius if he had been the one to ask the question. Maybe the two of them had talked once or twice? He decided to not worry about it right then.

The next thing James knew, he heard Kacie's voice again. He frowned slightly and then a small smile came onto his face. He didn't mind being messed with like that, for it happened all the time when he was with Padfoot and Moony. They would all mess around with each other. He shrugged and then let a small smile come onto his face as he said, "So what if I do have a hemorrage Helms? Wouldnt affect you would it?" He wondered briefly if he should have said that. he doubted she would care if he wasnt there, but once again, you never knew. He heard her voice again and just let the subject drop.

James sighed to himself and wondered what else they could talk about. He wanted to try and be friends with Kacie, although as they stood here on the Pitch, he felt that that may never happen. He looked at her and said, "So, you don't like Snape either huh?"

[``kacie marie helms]

Kacie saw Potter sigh softly, and bit back a snort of irritation. Why wouldn't he just leave her alone? She had come out to the Quidditch Pitch to get away from arrogant prats, not get harassed by them. Just earlier that very day she had been harassed by several cocky Slytherins, accusing her of being 'unfaithful' to their house. After a few heated words between the group and herself, lies on her part, she had hexed them to the point of amusement to those around her. She had proved her "loyalty" to the rest of Slytherin, alright. For now, none of the future Death Eaters of Britain would keep their suspicions to themselves.

Kacie sighed when Potter glanced at her quickly. After a moment, he shrugged and said, "I didn't know if you did or not Helms..." He laughed softly, obviously amused by the image she had painted in Potter's mind of Snape. He nodded and said, "Yah, I could just imagine the look on his face..." She knew of the trouble Potter and the rest of the Marauders caused for Snape, and, like many other students at Hogwarts, found it hilarious. Snape was nothing more than a traitorous toerag, and she hated him for what he did to Evans. Even though she wasn't friends with the Head Girl, she held a lot of respect for her. She had openly treaded the boundry line set between the houses, and Snape had repaid her by horrid words and a dagger in the back. "Get him good," she said, her eyes hardened in to rough emeralds, "Or I'll get him for you. The Death Eater belongs in Azkaban."

James clearly heard her comment and said, "Awww, Helms...if your that gorgeous, you shouldn't care if people stare at you or not...shouldn't that be like..a compliment or something??" Kacie barked a laugh, her reply quick and filled with amusement. "Name one bloke in this school that doesn't think I'm a goddess," she grinned mischeviously, "And it's not a compliment if I've been told a million times, Potter. But when I tell a bloke to shut his trap, it only proves his intelligense when he listens." She teased. After a moment, her face froze with the expression. What was she doing, teasing Potter? Joking around with him, as if he were one of her life-long buddies? She shook the expression off once more, looking away from James with a hard look in her eyes, her mask back in place. Once again, James was shocked at how much Kacie had just sounded like Sirius right then.

James frowned slightly and then a small smile came onto his face, as if he were used to being ridiculed in such a way as this. He shrugged and then let a small smile come onto his face as he said, "So what if I do have a hemorrage Helms? Wouldnt affect you would it?" Her reply was cold and quick as a whip. "Sue it would. It'd be a right laugh for me." Kacie offered Potter a small smile in gratitude as he decided not to pursue her statement. James sighed to himself, and Kacie couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about. She decided not to pursue the matter as he looked at her and said, "So, you don't like Snape either huh?" The Slytherin snorted in disgust. "I'd rather face the dementors than to allow Snape to 'grace' me with his presence," she sneered, her face scrunching in disgust.

[``james ignotus potter]

Once again, James was fascinated by Kacie. Why didn't she like Snape? Sure alot of people didn't like him, but the black haired Gryffindor figured that anyone in Snivellus' own house would like him. Granted, Kacie didn't seem to like most of the people in her house. She just wasn't your typical Slytherin. That fact is what had James so confused. He decided that it didn't matter what Kacie was like. She didn't like him all that much, and he was trying his best to change that, but everytime he saw her, it always seemed that her dislike of him increased. Was he really that bad? He had been trying to change, and it had worked and made Lily like him, but it didn't seem to be changing Kacie's opinion of him.

He looked at Kacie and nodded slowly and said, "You don't have to worry about that Helms...if we ever got to do that, you can be sure that we would get Snivellus..." He had never liked the guy, but he had heard something about Lily Evans and Snape at one point. He hadn't known whether or not to believe it, but hey, when it came to Lily, he didn't take any chances. He wouldn't put it past the bloke to say something to her, or make her feel like crap. He heard Kacie's voice again and looked at her, shocked. Snape was a Death Eater? He didn't seem THAT bad, but then again, James didn't know the guy, whereas Kacie lived in the same house as him. He shrugged to himself, deciding that he should probably let it drop.

James smirked and said, "I never said that guys didnt think your a goddess.....and you want me to name someone? Fine....I dont...but then again, I have my mind on someone else..." He wondered briefly if he should have said that, but decided it didn't matter. He knew that alot of guys fell over Kacie. Sure he thought she was good looking, but he was more interested in Lily. He smiled at her and said, "Well fine then, I'm sorry for stating the obvious..." His eyes widened in amazement at the next thing she said. Was she teasing him? He shook his head, telling himself that he was hearing things. There was no way she was teasing him.

James shook his head as he heard what Kacie said next. Ouch...that had actually hurt a little. She really wouldn't care? Well that just proved his point he guessed. She really didn't care about him. Like, she didn't care if they were friends or not. That kind of disappointed him. He decided not to let it bug him. James saw a smile come to her face and he raised his eyebrows slightly, trying to figure out why she was suddenly smiling at him. He laughed at her answer to his last question and smirked and said, "Yikes, thats bad Helms....well, I guess thats one thing we have in common..." 'If nothing else' he added in his mind.