A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing

Chapter three: Snookgrunch

That moment haunted AJ. The moment where Montague told her his initiation task for her.

"You have to get Flint to kiss you.”

The bastard had looked so smug when he said it, knowing that there was no way in hell that she’d be able to do it. But he was right - she couldn’t. If he had said she had to kiss Flint, she could’ve managed, perhaps leaping on the thug, planting her lips on his and then running as fast as her legs would carry her. But getting Flint to kiss her? It would never happen. Especially not within a week. He regarded her as something far below him, probably not even fit to walk on. She imagined he had the whole ‘pureblood’ obsession as well, which did not bode well for her plan.

Detention with him had been torture. One could’ve cut the tension with a knife. Although he hadn't said anything specific, he must've known something was up, because after half an hour of snide comments and picking on her he quietened down and they cleaned the Ravenclaw quidditch supplies cupboard in silence. Madame Hooch had come in and checked on them several times, made suspicious by the lack of quarrelling between the two.

AJ sighed and pushed her dorm room open. She was surprised to find the other girls sitting in there; she hadn't seen them at all since the beginning of term. The first night that year they were all tucked up in bed by the time she got in (she had been up late with Draco, trudging through stacks of potions research they were meant to have done over summer), then she had spent a week in the infirmary, and last night they had all come in really late, after she had gone to bed.

They all turned to face her, and gave her hesitant smiles. She knew them all by face, although she wasn't quite sure of all their names.

"Hi,"she said. She was really too tired to make friends at the moment but she had learnt that first impressions count, especially among the rich and Slytherin. "I'm AJ.”

"We know,"said the pretty blonde - she wasn't sure but she thought her name was Pansy. "You're the Gryffindor." She didn't have a response for that.

"Well… uh, yeah, I was in Gryffindor before." The girl glared at her. "But I really like Slytherin, it's much better." She seemed to relax a little.

The other three girls were looking at the blonde attentively. It was really weird the way Slytherins formed little gangs and had leaders who decided everything. She looked at her followers and nodded. Then they all turned to AJ, smiling.

"I'm Pansy,"said the blonde, standing up and offering her a hand, "Pansy Parkinson." AJ walked across the room and shook her hand; she had an oddly firm handshake. "These are Blaise Zabini," - A pretty brunette nodded; "...Milicent Bulstrode,"- A hefty-looking girl smiled at her; "...and Daphne Greengrass." The last girl was pale and quite pointed-looking - a lot like a female Draco with black hair. She even had the same sulky pout and greeted her with the same raise of her eyebrows. She had a familiar sort of look, although rationally it must've been because she looked like Draco.

"Nice to meet you all," AJ said out of courtesy. It wasn't actually all that pleasant meeting them. They were a bit strange and cliquey. There was an awkward silence as AJ looked at the girls with nothing to say to them. "Well, anyway, I um... better get some sleep." She made for her bed as Pansy called out with a slightly patronising tone.

"Already?" she scoffed. "It's only ten."

AJ turned and smiled apologetically. "I know, but I'm really tired. Quidditch initiations today and all..." she adlibbed. Pansy gave her a knowing smile.

"So how many of the team have you slept with now?"

AJ halted in her tracks and blinked disbelievingly at her. "Pardon?" she asked incredulously.

"How many of them said to sleep with them?" she repeated. "As their initiation test?"

"None," AJ finally stammered. "None said anything like that." Pansy raised an eyebrow. "Well apart from Draco--"

"You slept with Draco?" Pansy near-shrieked.

"No! No, no!" AJ hastened. "He just asked for a kiss. Nothing.. uh... nothing big." She shrugged haplessly. Pansy had her lips pressed together.

"No one's going to believe you, you know," Pansy scoffed. AJ was about to reply but she continued. "So how many tests do you have left?"

"Just Flint's-" the former Gryffindor began cautiously. Pansy almost looked gleeful.

"That's why none of them have slammed you!" AJ cringed at her crude terminology. "Flint wants you for himself!" Pansy and Milicent looked at each other as they laughed, Blaise slapping Milicent's thigh as she shrieked; Daphne, whom AJ sensed had greater self control, pulled her lips into something between a smirk and a sneer.

"Umm, I don't think that's likely..." AJ muttered, but her words were lost on the giggling gaggle of girls - they were now taking it in turns to do impressions of either AJ or Flint engaging in The Act, cackling like... well, witches. "Hey!" she protested, but she was still ignored. With a face as sour as a lemon, AJ crawled into bed, drew the curtains and tried to sleep over the sound of her dormmates ridiculing her. After a while it occured to her to cast a silencing charm, but not until after she had decided she didn't like the girls she'd have to live with for the rest of her Hogwarts days. After dampening her annoyance, her mind drifted back to the problem that was Montague's task and as she dropped off to sleep, she shuddered at the idea of Pansy being right about Flint's. Eurgh!

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AJ's sleep had been restless. She dozed off here and there but her difficulties with Slytherin house were playing on her mind and she kept jerking herself awake and away from unpleasant nightmares. She had given up on sleep as soon as the dorm candles lit themseles (indicating that the sun had risen) at about six a.m., deciding that a quick shower ought to help refresh her. She discarded the sling, eased her arm out of the cast and cautiously flexed her arm as she climbed into the cubicle. The hot spray helped to ease the rheumatic pain and she was fairly confident that she could now use her arm, albeit not as much as usual, but it was better than having to wear the rigid, inflexible cast that made it terribly difficult to do most anything. The shower, as nice as it was, didn't serve the intended purpose of clearing her head and so she got dressed and slipped out of the Slytherin quarters. What was silly was that, although the Slytherin Dungeons were under the lake, to gain access to the school's grounds she had to walk along one of the many long corridors that led back to the castle and exit via the Entrance Hall. Still, the long walk helped her to perk up a bit and if that hadn't done the trick, the cold morning air slapping her face would have.

AJ pondered for a moment. "If the dungeons are all underground," she asked herself, "why aren't they unbearably stuffy? Logic would dictate that fresh air can't get down there..." By now she had strolled down to the rose garden that was nearly hidden by the greenhouses. "I suppose Filch must use some sort of air freshening charm, although there's no need to make it so draughty-" She stopped as a red rose caught her attention. The way the rose dangled, leaning away from its stem, made it look like it was hanging onto her every word. It was a little like that Muggle film she had once watched with Lavender. "What was it called...?" she asked the rose, gently lifting it with her fingertips to admire it. "Ah, yes. Alice in Wonderland." She then stopped abruptly, recalling how she had thought Alice was a loon for talking to flowers, just as she had been doing. At least the flowers talked back to Alice. Feeling a little silly, she let go of the rose and strolled away, taking in the beauty of the garden.

She loved doing this, just strolling, appreciating the scene before her. The Hogwarts grounds were really beautiful. Even the Forbidden Forest, or the little she had seen of it, had a cold, eerie appeal to it. She didn't really have anywhere to walk to and after half an hour or so she ended up near the Entrance Hall again, so this time she decided to walk down the hill and to the vast lake. Slipping slightly on the dewey stone path, she made her way slowly down to the lake, her eyes repeatedly glancing up to watch the rising sun glimmer in the sky, or its reflection twinkle on the lake's surface. Deciding she didn't like the ominous way the shingle beneath her feet scattered and fell down the hillside, she opted to walk down on the grass - and when a chunk of earth gave way beneath her, leaving her straddling the hillside in a rather awkward manner, she thought that perhaps a trip to the lake wasn't such a good idea after all. After scrambling to safety under a tree, she glanced back up to the castle, which now seemed very far indeed.

"I don't fancy climbing back up," she mused. She glanced down to the lake, which was still quite some way down. "But I don't fancy my chances of climbing dow-" She stopped abruptly as she noticed a figure clad in black robes jogging around the lake. "Oh, hello," she muttered, squinting to get a better view of the person. "When did you get here?" They definitely hadn't been there earlier and no one had passed her on the way down. She felt a little strange, just watching this person run around the lake, though she decided that it was no different to the way she looked at the flowers in the rose garden or the birds and other creatures in the woods by Jones Manor. She was entranced by the jogger. There was a certain pride and elegance to the way he moved - it was definitely a 'he' - even though he moved quickly. She was quite certain that if she ever ran that fast (and she doubted she even could) she certainly wouldn't look as magnificent.

She sat and watched the stranger for what seemed like hours. He just ran... and ran... and ran. His stamina was phenomental. As the stranger ran along the East shore of the lake, she glanced up and realised that the sun was now somewhat higher than it was when she had arrived and her grumbling stomach confirmed that it was time for breakfast. She gave her majestic stranger one last glance and then began struggling back up the hill.

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AJ ran into the Great Hall fifteen minutes from the end of breakfast. She felt a little like Maria from the Sound of Music, running into the abbey when she was late for prayer.

"Where have you been?" questioned Draco, motioning at her muddy robes.

"Oh... er..." she mumbled, looking down at herself. "I went for a walk. It rained last night. Mud." She shrugged helplessly.

"Sit down," he said, motioning to a spot in front of a plate laden with food. "We got you some breakfast. Crabbe nicked your bacon though." She caught Crabbe's eye and he smiled apologetically.

"S'ok," she said to him. "I wasn't feeling all that hungry anyway." She bit into a slice of toast and chewed thoughtfully as she surveyed the table. "Hey, Crabbe...? Where's Goy-"

"Shhh!" hastened Crabbe, abruptly covering her lips with his finger. He looked from side to side to check that no one was listening, before continuing in a low voice. "Don't say it. I'm making a stand." He looked carefully at Draco, checking he wasn't listening. "Wait 'til Malfoy goes." AJ nodded confusedly and chomped through the rest of her breakfast.

"What are you going to be up to today?" said Malfoy conversationally. "The Idiots and I are going to get our homework out of the way, then getting some extra Quidditch training in before practice. We might find some Ravenclaws to do the homework though. Fancy joining us?"

"Um... well I don't have any homework at the moment," said AJ. "So I was going to rearrange my furniture in my dorm," she lied. "In fact, I could do with a hand... if you wouldn't mind lending Crabbe to me for the morning...?" Crabbe nodded in agreement.

"Sure," said Malfoy, letting his spoon clatter into his bowl after finishing his last mouthful of cornflakes. I'll get Goyle to scare the geeks instead." He looked around the table. "Where is he, anyway? Not like him to miss a meal." Crabbe gave AJ a pointed look and coughed incoherently.

"I think he's on the third floor," she fabricated. Malfoy looked puzzled.

"What's he doing there?" he asked. To him, the prospect of Goyle doing anything without his instruction was ludicrous.

"Squirrel hunting!" Crabbe interjected. "You know how he likes fluffy animals."

"Indoors?" Malfoy looked at him blankly, then got up and went in search of his goon, muttering something that sounded like "bloody idiot" as he left. Once he had left the hall, AJ and Crabbe continued.

"Goyle likes fluffy animals?"

"Strange obsession of his," explained Crabbe. "He's actually locked himself in the prefect's bathroom, cos he's convinced there are real mermaids there. I don't know where he got that idea," he said, running a hand through his short hair and stubbornly refusing to meet AJ's eye.

"O-kay," she said slowly. "So why the Goyle aversion?"

"Well, everyone always thinks of 'Crabbe and Goyle' as one single being. We can't not be together. It's annoying, you know? Why can't I be somewhere without him being there? Why can't we be seen as complete separate people?" he ranted. "So I'm distancing myself from him." AJ looked shocked. "It's not that I don't like Greg, don't get me wrong, it's just that... well, he's not as smart as I am, and he makes me look kind of stupid. You know what I mean?" From speaking to Crabbe, it occured to her that he was actually reasonably intelligent and that perhaps being with Goyle did drag him down in people's perceptions. She felt a little shallow at not having noticed before.

"I understand," she said sincerely. "But couldn't you just talk to him?" Crabbe shook his head.

"No, he wouldn't understand. He has to be shown, not told." He looked at AJ sorrowfully. "I feel bad because I know it's going to hurt his feelings." AJ tutted sympathetically and reached over to hold his hand.

"Well I'm sure as long as you're subtle about it, he won't be too hurt," she said soothingly.

"Well, that's the thing," he said, looking uncertain. "I told him I was taking all these really hard subjects, so that he wouldn't take the same classes as me, but it didn't stop him. Now he's doing Potions, Arithmancy and Transfiguration. I'm actually doing Divination, Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy." She let go of his hand.

"Crabbe!" she exclaimed. "He's going to fail abysmally!"

"I know!" he wailed. "And it's my fault! You've got to help me, AJ." He reached for her hand again. "Please?"

She looked at him blankly. "But what can I do? He's got to change subjects, that's all that can be done."

"I spoke to Snape," he began, craftily. "I told him Goyle wanted to change subjects. He said he'd switch him from Potions to Divination, but timetables this year are too complicated to change the other subjects."

"He's going to fail abysmally," she repeated blankly.

"Well you do Arithmancy..." he said warily, "and Malfoy does Transfiguration. Can't you two help him?"

"NEWTs are a two year course!"

"I know, I know, but he really needs help, AJ. You've got to help!" AJ buried her head in her hands. Well, so far, you've missed a week's worth of lessons and homework, which won't be easy to catch up with, if what Hermione kept saying last year about 'more work than ever' is true. On the other hand, your dormmates hate you, as do the two most influential people on the Quidditch team. If you get on the team at all. Between having no friends and no Quidditch practice, you could have a very lonely year, especially if the Reformed Crabbe doesn't like you...

"All right," she grumbled. "But it won't be easy."

---------------------------------

After doing Crabbe's homework together, AJ and Crabbe walked around the Hogwarts grounds for a few hours, discussing their lives and contemplating their problems. Unfortunately, Crabbe hadn't been as useful for her problems as she was to his, but in fairness, if Crabbe couldn't get a girl to kiss him, how would he know about Flint? All she did learn from Crabbe is that Flint had a tendency to set really hard tasks, which wasn't terribly comforting. AJ glanced at her watch.

"It's nearly two. Want to meet up with Draco?" Crabbe shrugged.

"Goyle will be there," he said guiltily.

"You can't avoid him forever. Besides, I'll keep him off your hands." Crabbe smiled gratefully and the pair made their way down to the Quidditch pitch.

"There you are!" shouted Draco, advancing on them. "I've been stuck with that imbecile all day!" he continued, pointing behind him and not bothering to lower his voice so that Goyle couldn't hear. Peering over Draco's shoulder, it appeared that Goyle didn't mind anyway. "We're playing two-on-two," he said, roughly shoving brooms into their hands. "No seekers, no beaters. First to a hundred wins. Crabbe, take Goyle."

"You know what?" AJ interjected. "Why don't I partner Goyle instead?" Smiling brightly at Draco as she charged past him, she walked over to Goyle. "Hi Goyle!" she said warmly.

"Hi," Goyle said, surprised. The stared at each other for a moment. She hadn't really planned this.

"Well," she said lightly. 'Here we are! Playing... Quidditch... together!" With another fake smile, she turned to face Draco and Crabbe. Draco smacked Crabbe in the chest and the latter pulled the Quaffle out of the case.

"Let's play," said Draco, eyeing AJ somewhat suspiciously. Quaffle in hand, he kicked off from the ground. "I'll be shooting..." he started thoughtfully, "...that way!" And with that, he bolted through the air, toward the goal hoops.

"Damn," AJ muttered under her breath. Even with her Firesparkle Crossfyre broomstick, she couldn't catch up with Draco and his huge lead. She let that one go - there was no way in hell she could've saved it. Malfoy flew a few victory circles with Crabbe cheering him on. AJ looked behind her to see Goyle applauding him too. "Goyle!" she hissed.

"Sorry," he said apologetically.

Their practice match lasted for just half an hour and AJ felt that the scoreline of a hundred to nil didn't do her team justice. After all, Crabbe was useless in goal and the only reason he had kept a clean sheet was because Goyle couldn't shoot to save his life. Even though she had lost so comprehensively, she wasn't disappointed, since her shots-to-saved ratio wasn't bad at all. Especially since Draco had possession of the Quaffle for about eighty percent of the time.

"Good game," she said, shaking Draco's hand with a sigh.

"I was brilliant, wasn't I?" gloated Draco.

"That's not what I said."

"No, but I was brilliant." There was no point arguing with Draco when he was on an ego trip.

"There's two hours until Quidditch practice. Do you want to go to the kitchens, grab a few snacks and have a picnic?" AJ suggested. "Might as well enjoy the sunshine while it lasts."

"Sure," said Draco brightly. "Crabbe, Goyle, go get some food. And don't eat it all!" Crabbe looked pleadingly at AJ as Goyle turned toward the castle.

"Erm, Draco? Don't you think I should take one of them? They'll probably get some really minging sandwiches..." Draco stretched and sat under a tree.

"Good point," he said. "Crabbe!" he barked. "Sit. AJ, you go with the idiot and meet us here." AJ smiled and trotted with Goyle toward the castle. They reached the kitchens and ordered some food from the Houseelves. It was then, as they waited in silence, interrupted only by offers of food from the Elves, that AJ realised that she and Goyle very rarely said anything to one another. That could make the next two years a little awkward.

"So..." she said, turning to the baffoon, who stood about six inches taller than her. "I hear you're doing Arithmancy this year." Goyle looked at her sideways on and then nodded, staring at his feet. If he didn't talk, the conversation would be rather one-sided, obviously. "How do you reckon that'll work out for you?"

"I'll fail," he said quietly, shuffling his feet and refusing to look at her.

"You don't know that," she said soothingly. "If you work hard..." She let her voice trail off, allowing him to process her suggestion.

"No," he said resignedly. "It doesn't matter if I work hard. I'm stupid."

"No you're not!" AJ said, trying to sound as if she believed her own words. "Why would you say that?"

"Malfoy says I am." AJ was surprised that anyone could take another's word so seriously.

"Malfoy's not always right, Goyle."

"Yes he is."

"Says who?"

"Malfoy."

AJ inhaled deeply. This conversation wasn't going anywhere fast. She and Goyle thanked the Houseelves that brought them a massive tray of sandwiches and cakes and left the kitchens.

"You know, Goyle," she said, making another attempt at conversation, "even if Draco thinks you're stupid, no one else does." This time Goyle looked at her.

"Vince does," he said with conviction. "He's avoiding me because I make him look stupid." He reached for one of the sandwiches on the tray.

"No, Goyle," she said, slapping his hand lightly. "Wait until we meet with the others." The continued walking in silence. "Goyle," she said after some thought.

"Mmmph?" he mumbled, trying to hide the sandwich he had snuck into his mouth while she wasn't watching.

"If you're stupid, you wouldn't be perceptive enough to notice Crabbe was avoiding you," she said cleverly. "And you wouldn't have been able to sneak that sandwich without me noticing."

"When you're thinking," he said after swallowing his mouthful, "you don't notice anything. Like a Ravenclaw girl smiled hello to you a minute ago and you didn't notice." Startled, AJ turned round to look for the girl, but didn't see her.

"See? I told you you were perceptive!" she said, when she gave up on the Ravenclaw.

"What does perceptive mean?"

"It means you notice things," she explained. "It's a valuable skill."

"Oh, I don't notice much. Only you weren't looking and I was hungry. And this morning, Crabbe told me he thinks I'm stupid and I make him look bad," he said forlornly. "Then he said I'm too stupid to understand when told, so he has to show me." His shoulders drooped. "Everyone thinks I'm stupid."

"Goyle," AJ started. She sighed. "Look, I don't think you're stupid." He looked at her disbelievingly. "You have your own kind of cleverness. You're very sly."

"Eah, hi ih hust hook ahnuh-vuh han hich," he chuckled with his mouth full.

"Yes, you did just take another sandwich. Very clever," AJ coaxed. "You see? You are smart."

"No one else thinks so," he said after swallowing.

"Well, we'll prove to them you are. Why don't I tutor you for Arithmancy?"

"You'd do that?"

"Of course I will Goyle, what are friends for?" Goyle smiled triumphantly.

"So you'll help me be smart?"

"Yep," AJ said encouragingly. "Why don't I give you a riddle to work on? That ought to help you exercise your brain."

"Ok!" Goyle said brightly.

"All right, here's the riddle: He's your uncle's brother's son. What's his name?" AJ looked at him expectantly, but her hopes came crashing down when she saw the utterly perplexed look on his face.

"How do you know my family so well?"

---------------------------------

After a few leisurely hours under the tree, the four sixth-year Slytherins made their way down to the Quidditch pitch again.

"Oh you're dressed already. Great!" said Flint with a smile. He seemed to be in a genuinely good mood. "I was just telling the gang here about the Falcons' victory over the Wanderers this afternoon and how we should try to be more like them. Especially Eric Cormack, who beat Gus Tormet out of the sky. The Wanderers' goalkeeper... Who looks a lot like the Gryffindor keeper... Who should also be beaten out of the sky." He looked menacingly at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Weasley. Beaten out of sky. Gotcha," repeated Crabbe, taking mental note.

"So, going along those lines, after we've done our skills training, we're going to have a quick game of Snookgrunch," continued Flint. "But no deaths, all right?" AJ winced and looked at Draco, who was cringing at the thought of the game. Earlier versions of Snookgrunch, a game similar to Muggle 'wrestling', had been outlawed by the Ministry because of its violence, and it's latest incarnation had banned the moves that involved chains, bone-breaking, decapitation and of course, death. AJ found it mildly disturbing that Flint had had to remind his team about the 'no death' bit. Why was it that there was no McNamera on the team? She had been certain it was because of slugs...

Instead of a practice match, the first teams and reserves split into their different positions. AJ strolled over to the boy she presumed was the reserve goalie.

"Hi," she said as he turned around. "Oh! You're Vod!" she added astoundedly when he faced her.

"Well I hold myself in high regard too, but I wouldn't go that far," he said in an odd high-pitched but gravelly voice. It was the Pointed Boy from the infirmary. It took AJ a moment to comprehend what he had said.

"Oh!" she said with a small giggle. "No, I said 'Vod'. V.O.D. 'Voice of Doom.'" She felt sillier with every explanatory word. "Erm, I uh, didn't know your name, so I gave you a name based on your personality. Um, 'Vod'." He looked at her blankly. "Because you were so pessimistic in the infirmary, I-"

"Shh!" he cut her off. "I don't know if you heard it, but every time your mouth opens, this annoying sound appears and it's driving me mad. Keep an ear out for it; you'll get what I mean." AJ listened hard as Vod set up their equipment, but didn't hear anything. Vod had set up three practice hoops approximately ten feet off the ground. She presumed they were to practice penalties at this altitude since the chasers were running some kind of gauntlet a hundred or so feet above them, and in fairness it looked rough, so she didn't want to get in the way. Just then, Quinn Lawrence landed next to her with a crunch.

"Madame .... Pomfrey..." he croaked, before crawling up into a ball and crying. Seeing the reserve chaser in such a state made AJ glad she didn't make chaser for the team. By the time AJ had gotten over the shock, Lawrence had been stretchered and taken to the hospital wing. With a swish of the wand, Flint cleared the blood and nodded amicably at Vod and AJ as he mounted his broom.

"Get back to practice, girls," he said sweetly, before kicking off hard and snatching the Quaffle out of a terrified Warrington's hands. Vod tossed her the ball and they took it in turns taking shots at each other. After a short while, the silence between them was beginning to bug her.

"So, Vod, do you have a real name? Or am I going to call you Vod forever?"

"My name is Vod," she thought she heard him say.

"Oh my Gods, you're actually called 'Vod'? How cool is that!"

"No, idiot!" he yelled, throwing the Quaffle directly at her after catching her shot. "TODD. With a 'T'! Todd FitzPatrick. Don't ever call me Vod."

"Look, can we just practise please?" he said, diving to pick up the Quaffle he had just let slip through the left hoop. "Without talking."

"Sure," she said, "I really need some practice too-"

"There's that annoying sound again!" he said in a raised voice. "Every time your lips part!" AJ strained to listen, even gaping like a goldfish to see if the sound would come up again, but she didn't hear it.

"I still can't hear it," she said simply. "So... you're a Falcons fan?" She noted the dark grey and white scarf around his neck. He looked at her like she was an idiot.

"Everyone's a Falcons fan," he said, pointing out how most of the Quidditch squad were wearing at least one piece of Falcons merchandise.

"Not true. When I was in Gryffindor there were loads of Puddlemere fans. And my ex, Ron, he's a massive Cannons fan. He had scarves, posters, keyrings - he didn't even have any keys to carry!

"The sound, the sound!" he screeched, beginning to pull at his hair. "You open your mouth and out comes the annoying, whiney sound!"

"Well, that's funny cos I don't hear an-" Then the penny dropped. "You mean my voice, don't you?" she said resignedly. He flew over to her and looked her in the face.

"Yes, I mean your voice, you idiot!" He looked at her scathingly. "Don't try to be chummy with me. You took my place on the team! Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to break the first team? I hope you die." He gave her a stern look before his left arm flew out and pointed to the goals. "Your turn on the hoops." Gulping down the anger that was rising in her throat, AJ flew over to the hoops and the two of them practised in silence.

Who the hell does he think he is? she thought. It's not my fault I did well on the trials. I didn't even want the sodding position. She glared at him, diving to block a shot to her right. She failed to notice that the angrier she got, the worse her concentration became. I bet he thinks he's better than me. I bet he didn't think he was better than Bletchley. Probably assumed that once he left, he'd get the place. Stupid Vod. I'm calling him Vod forever. Stupid Vod FitzPatrick. By the time Flint blew his whistle, AJ had worked herself up to the state where she was livid.

"Right, boys," said Flint, clapping his hands together once everyone was sat on the grass. "It's Snookgrunch time!" Some players, such as Flint, Montague, Crabbe and Goyle looked excited at the concept - most however, didn't seem thrilled, especially the reserves, who were mostly third and fourth years. "You, you and you," Flint said, pointing at Warrington and a pair of the reserves. "You're all too battered after practice, so you're not fighting. "You," he said, pointing at AJ, "are a girl. So you're out. The rest of you, pair up."

"Hey!" AJ protested. "I want to fight!" There were many guffaws from the team. "No, no," she said quickly. "I want to fight, and I want to fight him." With that, she whirled around and pointed at Vod. After all, he was on the short side, skinny and all in all, looked rather delicate. She could beat him. That and she needed no excuse to hit him. Flint, after having a hearty laugh, crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Look Gryffindor, I know we all call Fitzy a girl, but-" AJ didn't catch the rest of what Flint said, as Vod had sneered at her and she had launched himself at him. The rest of the team immediately parted to make room for them, forming a loose circle around the pair. AJ, using her left to keep Vod pinned to the ground, used her right to repeatedly punch him in the face, before Vod overhauled her and winded her. Feeling a little ill from the sudden impact to her abdomen, she swung listlessly in his vague direction, only just scrabbling at him. "Hey, girly, no nails allowed in Snookgrunch!" she heard one of the crowd call out. "And that means you, Gryffindor!" added some joker. The team, it seemed, were on her side for once.

"Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor," they chanted.

"STOP!" Flint bellowed. AJ and Vod stopped mid-scramble. "Oh, not you two, I meant this lot," he said, pointing to the rest of the team. "Keep fighting." He waved his hand dismissively and the two of them went back to attempting disembowel each other, since that wasn't banned. A second later, the crowd started chanting again.

"Ang-el-ic-a! Ang-el-ic-a!"

"No, no," said Flint. "Not happy with that either." AJ didn't hear what else he said, as she found the fist to her chin a little distracting.

"Jonesy, Jonesy!" yelled her teammates. The match went on a little longer, with neither making much impact on the other (although AJ was sure they scored points for ferocity,) until Flint stopped it.

"Enough!" he bellowed, pulling the two apart and dropping them on the floor. "I need Gryffindor in one piece for her initiation test with me tonight." He flashed AJ a grin and she swallowed uncertainly. "Is anyone actually in the mood for Snookgrunch anymore? I was only going to do it for entertainment - and the catfight was pretty entertaining." Montague, standing behind AJ, hissed and made cat claws at her, laughing. A couple of others chortled and she smirked at them. The team seemed happier not playing their own Snookgrunch matches. "Someone help the girl up," Flint commanded, picking up the beaters' bats and turning toward he changing rooms. AJ offered her hand to Montague for him to help her up. He shook his head in mock sympathy.

"Sorry," he said. "Have to help the girl. Captain's orders." With that, he strode over to Vod and pulled him up.

"Funny!" AJ called out. She had meant to sound sarcastic, but she did find the tomfoolery amusing, chauvenistic as it was. She got up and limped over to Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were waiting for her.

"That was stupid," Malfoy said flatly.

"That was awesome!" Crabbe said excitedly. Goyle nodded enthusiastically. Malfoy gave something akin to a screetch and glared at the two of them, which made them shut up.

"Go to the changing rooms!" he commanded. "Honestly," he proclaimed once they had left, "they're starting to behave like they have their own opinions!" He gave a melodramatic sigh and slowed his pace down so that AJ could keep up with him. "Snookgrunch?" he questioned. "What were you thinking? Especially after Flint said not to play. Even if it was Fitzy. You're in trouble," he said pointedly, "and don't expect me to save you when Flint adds you to his hitlist. Actually," he corrected himself, "you're already on it, so don't come running to me when you move to number one on it."

"Speaking of Flint," said AJ, dismissing Draco's concerns, "do you know what kind of task he'll set me? Only I was talking to Pansy and-"

"Let me guess, she said you'd have to sleep with the whole team?" he said cynically.

"Well... umm, yes actually." She felt a little silly for believing Pansy now. "She lied to me, didn't she?"

"Pansy slept with the whole team," Draco said lightly.

"Really?" replied AJ, both surprised and disgusted.

"Yeah," he said. "Nothing to do with Quidditch though."

All the shocked AJ could manage was 'oh.'

" 'Oh' indeed," Draco said with a wan grin. "Took me a while to live it down that the whole squad had slept with my then-girlfriend." He appeared to be lost in thought for a moment, his fists clenching then unclenching by his side. "Anyway," he said suddenly, "your Flint problem. No idea. Wish I could be more precise, but Flint's never had a girl try out for his team so he's never set a task for a one." He shrugged. "But if it makes you feel any better, he hates your guts - and he hates mudbloods even more than I do-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Sorry, force of habit," Draco said dismissively. AJ glared at him. "What? I can't drop a lifetime of preaching just for you. I only overlook it 'cos you're pretty!" He stuck his tongue out and AJ punched him on the arm playfully. "Anyway," he said with a smirk and a sexy twinkle in his eye, "even if Flint finds you physically attractive, I don't reckon he'd touch you with a barge pole." AJ nodded her thanks and squeezed his arm gratefully. By then they had reached the Slytherin Quidditch hut and Flint was loitering by the door.

"I need to talk to the girl," he said to Draco.

"I saw Monty drag him in earlier," quipped Malfoy. Flint gave him a forced smile.

"The 'girl' joke has been overused," he said simply. "Excuse yourself." Draco's face fell.

"Excuse me," he muttered begrudgingly to AJ.

"Good boy, Malfoy," Flint said patronisingly, patting the blond on the shoulder as he went to the boys' changing room. Flint didn't notice the dark look Draco shot at his back. "Gryffindor," he said, now facing the wannabe team member. "You haven't forgotten you're meant to be back here in an hour's time to do my initiation test, have you?"

"No, of course not," AJ said. "I'll be here in an hour."

"Good Gryffindor. Another thing - your goalkeeping." AJ swallowed hard as he crossed his arms across his chest. "You seemed a bit off just now. I'm letting you off easy today, but next time you're on a broomstick and you lose concentration, you should ponder just what I'll do to you with that broomstick." AJ's eyes widened in fear. "Yeah," he said, pointing to the expression on her face, "I think you catch my drift. Now run away." And run away she did, so fast that she forgot to press the handle down on the girls' changing room door and ran straight into it.