Gryffindor Practise 1 (2005-6)

[Hayzie]

It was already November and it wouldn't be long before the date of the year's first Quidditch games were announced. Before long, the whole school would be buzzing with excited chatter, taunting or supporting songs would be heard in every corridor and teams would practise relentlessly, determined to win the games.

Despite the fact Gryffindor's Assistant Captain could no longer play, Hayzie Roberts knew the show had to go on, and Laura had given her permission to hold her own practise for the first time.

To Hayz, it fekt worse than playing her first game. They had lost that day thanks to her narrowly missing the Snitch. Needless to say she hadn't been put in for Seeker since.

Wrapping herself up in a coat and scarf to protect herself from the chilly November wind, Hayzie headed down to the pitch and into the store cupboard where the case of balls, containing a Quaffle, two bludgers and the tiny golden snitch, was placed.

How she was going to get them onto the pitch, on the other hand, was a different matter.

Eventually, and with great difficulty considering her lack of talent in Transfiguration, Hayzie managed to transfigure four old balls into wheels, and attach them onto the trunk. After, it was a relatively simple matter on attaching some string to one of the handles, and the other end was held in her hand as she dragged it onto the pitch, looking around for the rest of the team as she did so.

No one dared be late for Laura's practises, but almost everyone knew Hayz was a soft case.

[Aylen Hawkins]

Ever since he woke up that morning, Aylen had felt depressed. Perhaps it was the chilly fall days that seemed to have nothing better to do than to hide the sun from the students and snicker at their sluggishness. As he trudged back from class into the Common Room, he no plans other than to fall into bed and sleep, then wake to another cloudy, blah day. He was feeling so lethargic he had nearly plodded right past the bulletin board. Luckily, the pink writing caught his eye. Though Aylen’s eyes crossed while trying to read the bright letters, the Gryffindor managed to get the general idea of the note. Grinning madly, his mood abruptly swung from one end of the spectrum to the other. “Yes!” he cried, startling some lingering housemates and pounded up the stairs to the boys’ dormitory without stumbling once.

Soon, the boy was racing down the hallways, broom in hand, ignoring the reproachful paintings that hung on the stone walls. Today was Quidditch Practise, and if he made the team today...The redhead’s insides squirmed with excitement. He couldn’t wait.

Aylen had been running so fast he almost ran straight into the wheeled contraption Hayzie had recently been confined to. He put on the brakes just in time, skidding to a stop comically in front of the prefect. “Hullo!” he said energetically. “Where is everyone else?”

[Hayzie]

Hayzie couldn't help but laugh at Aylen. He was one of those people who managed it without even trying. Coming to a stop so she didn't run into the male twin of the Hawkins family, the blonde girl shook her head. "Shoulda known you'd be here first," she replied, looking around to see if there actually was anyone else yet. It was already four. She was expecting the entire team to be at the pitch by now.

Maybe you need to adopt Laura tactics, Hayz the Prefect told herself with a mental exasperated sigh.

"As for the others... looks like they're running a little late. Didn't you see anyone on your way down?" she questioned, the exasperation coming through in her voice, as well.

[Aylen Hawkins]

Picking up on the slightly irritated tone of the prefect, his hyperness diminished a little. “Well...erm...” The redhead grinned sheepishly. To tell the truth, he had been running far too fast to notice anything other than what was right in front of his feet. In fact, he might even have managed to run over some of his teammates. Hayzie and Laura had yelled at him so many times for so many things he lost track. He had always been able to slip out of them, however. “I..er...” he continued to search for the words. “No,” he finally said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “I should have told Aidana too, instead of rushing down here by myself, huh?”

His broom, now free of his hand, hovered waist high beside him, waiting impatiently to be mounted. It was brand new, with its own serial number embossed on the handle, and Aylen couldn’t wait to fly it either. “Who are the other members of the team, anyway?” he asked curiously. Obsessed with Quidditch as he was, he still hadn’t been able to attend a single Quidditch game. Hopefully, that would change sooner or later; sooner rather than later.

[Hayzie]

Hayz sighed at Aylen's answer. She knew all too well how fond he was of Quidditch, and hoped Laura would put him in the starting team for their first game of the season. If not, then maybe his chance would come in the Spring term.

In answer to his question, the blonde's face turned into an almost amused one. "The team's a little... higgildy piggildy at the moment... to be honest," she answered, her tone nearing dry. "I'm hoping some others will come along today looking for positions on the team... but by the looks of things I'll have to cancel practise."

The thought of that shocked Hayzie more than anything else, and the final words that left her before the silence fell was: "Laura's gonna kill me.."

[Ashlle G. Rainier]

OOC: Naughty Hayzie, I got told off for bumping my posts!

BIC: That morning Ashlle had been reading in the Common Room when she was interrupted by Aylen's whoop of joy. Once he'd sprinted out of the Common Room Ashlle had taken a look at the sparkley note he'd been looking at.

"Quidditch? Hmmmm . . ." Ashlle's first year had been so full of doubt that she hadn't even gone to any Quidditch games. Nor did she really know what Quidditch was exactly but she be damned if she was gonna tell anyone that.
Not really knowing why, Ashlle bundled up and when down to the Pitch. Maybe if the Captain was nice he'd allow her to watch the practice. It wasn't like she wasn't in Gryffindor too after all.

Finding her way onto the pitch was a bit difficult but she finally found an open door. Once she stepped in side her jaw dropped. Never ever had she seen such a huge place in her life. She knew that Quidditch was played on broomsticks but still she'd never imagined a Field of play quite like this.

Seeing two figures standing (and sitting) at the edge of the Pitch she waked over to see them. It took a good five minutes to get there.
"Oh it's you" she said curtsying to Hayzie and nodding respectfully to Aylen. "Please could you tell me when is the Captain going to get here? I've something to ask him."

[Hayzie]

Hayzie gave Ashlle a look of relief as she showed up on the pitch. At least another Gryffindor had shown up besides Aylen. A practise could be held with one person normally, but given her situation, it would be a little difficult.

Listening to her words, Hayzie chuckled a little. "Well the thing is, I don't think the captain's going to be able to make it. She's been detained for some reason. But as her Assistant, I can try and answer the question, if you'd like?"

ooc: Sorry! Going out in a sec, but wanted to reply. And bumping? -smiles innocently- where? ^_^;;

[Ashlle G. Rainier]

OOC: *shakes head at Hayzie's antics*

BIC: Ashlle nodded, then took a double take.
"Her? You mean she's a girl?" This put a whole new perspective on things. If girls were aloud to play sports in Wizarding School, than maybe . . .
Maybe I ought to watch first in order to know the game before I think of playing Ashlle thought to herself.

"I was wondering if it would be ok if I watch the practice today. I've - never been much interested in sports - but I thought maybe . . . you know if I saw a practice first hand - I might -er- get interested." It was a lame excuse she knew but how would it look if a pureblood such as herself had never ever seen a game? Bad, it would look very bad - and suspicious Ashlle told herself.

[Laura (away)]

Him? Him? What on earth was this girl on about?

Scowling slightly with indignation, Laura leapt to her feet, her knees banging painfully into the stadium chairs in the row in front of those that she had been sprawled on. An excess of homework combined with too many late nights had seen Laura amble down to the pitch in a daze, sprawl her form across the top row benches and proceed to lie there in a stupor for over two hours.

Consequently, she rose in such an uncoordinated manner that as her knees collided with the chairs in front she was unable to maintain her usual poise and tripped. Half cartwheeling, the Prefect toppled head first onto the seats below, her bellowed curses reverberating throughout the stadium as she landed with a painful thud. A moments pause, then Laura was back on her feet, the magnitude of her scowl doubled, a ruby glow staining her olive cheeks.

Laura skipped down the stairs two at a time, vaulted over the low railing of the stadium walls and landed six feet below, her dexterity seeming to have returned as a result of her little fall. She strode purposefully over to where her best friend stood with Ashlle.
"Well, as you see I am most definitely not a male," the Captain informed the other girl, her manner brisk. "So you're interested in having a go at Quidditch, eh? Ever played before?" she demanded, eyeing her sternly. "I assume you've been on a broom, of course."

Turning to her fellow Prefect, she arched a brow, hoping to God that Hayzie was going to forget her little stunt in the stands as soon as humanly possible. Somehow however, she doubted the likelihood of this.
"Yeah, nice team you have here, Hayz. I can just feel the enthusiasm dripping from the stands. But tell me, all the others doing a lap of the castle or..." Laura allowed a pregnant pause to draw out as she crossed her arms, her frown returning.

(ooc) Apologies for the poor post.

[Hayzie]

Hayzie's face sported a huge grin as Laura approached them after her little gymnastics practise from the stands. "Quite impressive, I must say, Laura," she commented, trying hard not to laugh. However catching the returning frown, almost all traces of humour fled her, and her eyes became a little shifty as she tried to dodge her best friend's gaze. Common room Laura and Quidditch Pitch Laura were most definitely two very different people... it had taken the blonde until now to realise this... or rather realise it for the first time since term had started.

Coughing quietly, Hayz chose to answer Ashlle first, probably with a statement that wasn't really needed. "Well... you can ask the captain... she's here now." Her words were almost guilt filled. Laura had known she was going to take practise, but Hayz should have known bette than to think she would stay away from the pitch.

Looking back up at her friend, but her eyes falling again pretty quickly the Assistant Captain replied with a muttered: "Ermm.... yes... well... no.... they're.... erm... late?"

[Ashlle G. Rainier]

Ashlle was not frightened. She was however very surprised at being asked to play, and that she was actually meeting the first female Captain she'd ever heard about so soon after hearing about her. To buy time Ashlle curtsied deeply to Laura.
"Please forgive my ill information, Miss Captain. I was not aware that this school aloud female players or captains. I was subject to a grade school myth that girls were not good at sports. Clearly the young ruffians at my former school were biased." Ashlle now had to answer the Captain's questions but what kind of excuse would make sure her secret stayed secret?

"Er - about that broom thing - last year (my first year) there was no Flying Class. There were too many attacks on the school for them to hold it. My guardians didn't think it wise to allow me a broom, they didn't believe in Quidditch and didn't wish to risk me in such a way -I'm the last member of my clan you see. So no, I've never played before, but actually I was hoping just to watch this time."

Laura and the others didn't know how true some of her words were. The 'Guardians' she spoke of didn't believe in Quidditch - that is to say they didn't believe it existed. Ashlle had spent the first 10 years of her life in three separate Muggle Orphanages. But she was damned if she was ever going to tell that to anyone.

[Aylen Hawkins]

Returning the girl’s greeting with a grin, Aylen sat down on the short, neatly cropped grass of the pitch. His broom hovered for a moment, as if it was a bit disgruntled to be denied a lap around the school, but dropped beside the redhead in the end.

Picking idly at the grass, he was interrupted by a loud outburst from Ashlle. Stifling his laughter at the girl’s surprise, Aylen wondered how their Quidditch Captain would react to the statement if she were here; and just like clockwork, the familiar brown-haired girl popped out of the stands. The redhead was just about to shout a hello, but he was cut off mid-shout as Laura tumbled down the steps. The redhead’s laughter would not be held back any longer, and he began rolling on the ground with mirth. “Laura,” he managed to say between peals of laughter. “Not even I could pull off a moment like that!” He and his sister were quite notorious for their clumsy moments, though Aidana tripped less often these days.

(ooc: You think your post is bad? ^^;; )

[Stacey]

Quidditch was one language Stacey Rellin could understand with little difficulty.

On the Saturday afternoon, the first that she had been there, the blond Gryffindor had spotted a notice written in neat pink writing at the bottom of the notice board and instantly her blue eyes had lit up. The remainder of the afternoon had been spent trying to do a quality piece for History of Magic, but she was still sure it would only get an A. Next time she would concentrate on getting the O grade, but until then, Stacey's thoughts had strayed outside and onto the pitch where she would head down to later on.

As four o' clock neared, Stacey returned to her dormitory to change into the clothes she had worn for practises at Beauxbatons, a simple pair of jeans and an Ireland Quidditch sweater. Teaming this with a pair of white sneakers and tying her hair back into a ponytail, Stacey walked down to the pitch, knowing she could summon her broom if it was needed.

Upon reaching the pitch, however, a strange sight caught her eye. It was already tweny after four, and yet there seemed to be very few members of the team present. Aylen was there with another red headed girl, a brown haired girl looking flustered and a blond in a wheelchair. Maybe the teams here are a little more laid back than at Beauxbatons, Stacey reprmanded herself for thinking that there maybe wasn't an organised team after all.

Walking up to the four, with a confident smile on her face, Stacey spoke: "Hello, I saw that there was a Quidditch practise, and was wondering if I could watch? I don't think I've met all of you before, I just arrived on Tuesday. My name's Stacey Rellin, Sixth year transfer, and three years of experience as Chaser, from Beauxbatons Academy. It's great to meet you all! I'm guessing you're all in Gryffindor, too, right?"