AN: First off, thanks to everyone who's favorited, followed, or reviewed at this point. You're the best.
Second off: Ranger was a difficult sort, but in the end, she went to...well, if you must know, you'll have to keep reading.
Disclaimer from the first chapter still applies.
Chapter 2: Ranger
The sun broke over the horizon, but none of the sixth-year Slytherin girls took note of this.
None, that is, except the one whose internal alarm had her up and going for the day.
Ranger Capen had never exactly been a morning person, but today was different.
In Slytherin, Quidditch tryouts were a cause for intense competition and a morning of good fun. For Ranger, this year would be exceptional; having made the team as beater every year since her third, except for last year when she'd switched to seeker, she was a natural choice for captain after last year's four seventh years had graduated.
With so many slots open, she'd decided to hold a team overhaul and get six entirely new members for the team.
She looked at the clock; tryouts started at nine, and she'd wanted to eat breakfast before going out to practice and meet up with her boyfriend.
Technically speaking, she and Haydn had been betrothed since they were still in the womb; however, it wouldn't be official until Haydn turned seventeen next August.
Ranger snuck out of the dormitories, through the common room, and out of the dungeons before wandering off to the kitchens.
She stood there, waiting for almost twenty minutes and was contemplating leaving when finally, finally her knight-in-shining-armor showed up.
"Hey." She smiled a bit, but it vanished when she noticed that her boyfriend was moving a tad slower than usual.
"Hey." He steadied himself as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down for a relatively chaste kiss.
Ranger'd never understood why he insisted on spending time with her in school; he was one of the more popular kids in Hufflepuff, and probably the most popular of the kids in the year below her. But she was more than grateful for his attention, especially considering her own family.
"Hey Phob!" The happy couple broke apart and faced a sneering fifth year girl, Ranger's fellow Slytherin. "Why are you so close to freak girl, eh?"
"Shut up, Pekelo." Haydn scowled.
"And Spring?" Ranger gave the girl her best smirk. "just remember I can rig the tryouts so you won't make the team."
The younger girl gasped. "You wouldn't."
"Would I?" Ranger laughed as Spring let out an impatient huff, flipped her hair, and stomped off in the direction of the Great Hall.
Haydn smiled and pulled her in for another kiss. "That's my girl."
Ranger broke it off. "I gotta go. Breakfast, flying practice, then tryouts. Hufflepuff doesn't go till tomorrow, right?"
Haydn nodded. "That's right."
Ranger allowed herself a tiny smile. "Look for me, cheering you on."
Haydn laughed. "With pleasure, m'lady." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it before finally setting Ranger free.
As she walked off, Ranger patted herself on the back for once again keeping her temper mostly in check with Haydn around.
0-0-0
Ranger was soaring high above the Quidditch pitch when she finally noticed a group of kids clad in green and silver standing on the edge. As quickly as her old Comet 490 would allow, she got to the ground and dismounted.
"Right then. First off, welcome to today's tryouts. I'm your captain, Ranger Capem. Now here's what we're going to do-"
"Why should we listen to you?" A small voice piped up from the edge of the crowd, which parted to reveal a tiny blonde girl who couldn't have been past third year.
"Because, Themis, if you're going to be part of the team you're going to have to get used to following orders. So shut your trap and listen." Another girl, this one brunette, glared at the blonde.
"...Right. Anyhoo, split off in groups of ten and on my whistle you'll fly around the pitch three times before landing." The groups split up and Ranger blew the whistle.
0-0-0
After nearly three hours on the pitch including a broken nose, two concussions, and several broken fingers, the last of the tryouts had finished.
Ranger called the remaining group (about half the size of the original) and cleared her throat. "Congrats, you lot. You've made it this far. Check tomorrow on the common room announcement board for the final listing of who made the cut and substitutes. You're now free to go."
"Finally." The blonde from earlier rolled her eyes before trudging off. One by one, so did the rest of the Slytherins.
Ranger left the pitch and headed into the ladies locker room.
After a quick rinse and changing into her regular clothes, she headed to her dorm.
Once there, she flopped down most unceremoniously on her bed and pulled out her notes.
After reading and cross-examining them, Ranger began drafting a list of who'd get each position.
Selecting her team's keeper had been a no-brainer. Aurelio Pickering, despite being only in fourth year, was already six and a half feet tall and would easily be able to stretch out and block the goalposts- which he had done, and been phenomenal about it too.
This year's top beaters were a study in contrasts. Zachery Holden was in his last year, Danielle Burnett in her second; Danielle was tiny and almost frail-looking, while Zach was built like a giant; but yet, both Danielle and Zach were fantastically powerful when it came to batting away the bludgers.
The chasers, however, were another matter altogether.
One of them had been an easy enough selection. Fourth-year Rowan Diatello was a fast flier and had scored all but one of the goals, plus her unusually sweet (for a Slytherin, anyway) disposition made her easy enough to work with. Also, her step-mother was a political ally, and in a pureblood society where who you know was everything, that sealed the deal. Ranger didn't need to give her mother another excuse to make her life hell.
The other chaser slots were a bit harder, but after twenty minutes Ranger had picked her next teammate. Cutter Wryer was a relatively unknown third year, but she was almost as speedy as Rowan had been, and she was a particularly adept at out-maneuvering bludgers. Granted, she wasn't the best goal-scorer out there, but she definitely wasn't the worst either. She would have to do, Ranger decided.
That left two girls to compete for the third and final chaser slot.
Spring Pekelo, as much as Ranger hated to admit it, was strong enough to catch a quaffle going at top speed, manipulate her way through the rest of the players, and score nearly every time. But, she was also rather obnoxious, rude, and stuck-up. The other option wasn't all that much better, though.
The rude little blonde girl happened to be Mae Themis. After the fall of the Blacks and Malfoys as well as other prominent pureblood families, the Themis family had taken over. Mae's mother, Elysia Nott, had married an American pureblood whose family had gone across the pond on the Mayflower. Having been born in Los Angeles, Mae was technically an American citizen but got into Hogwarts due to her mum's connections.
So what was wrong with Mae? Her arrogance, for one, would definitely have to go. She clashed with Cutter multiple times during tryouts, including an incident that nearly broke the latter's nose.
But on the other hand, Mae wasn't a bad flier and Ranger had heard the younger girl promising to buy the entire team one Nimbus 3400XL each. Ranger knew this wasn't the best judgement, but she figured a new broom wouldn't hurt if they wanted to beat Gryffindor.
Reluctantly, Ranger added Mae as the seventh and final member of Slytherin's Quidditch team.
Maybe the younger girl would be more agreeable with a personality transplant.
This chapter was short, but I was having a hard time writing it, so...
And I meant to have this up two weeks ago, but Geometry and US History will be the death of me.
Anyways, I'm really super-mega-ultra excited for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie! WOO!
Next up: Alexis Hayden and the Halloween Hogsmeade Trip.
Tune in next time on One Long Year.
Cheers,
Purple