Two~ Of Quidditch and Nemesis
There was a banging on the door, disrupting what would have been the best of mornings to stay in bed for endless hours. Jae opened her hazel eyes and gazed at the ceiling like it was the most evil thing that ever existed. It was four years after the unfortunate incidents of the late Carolinas school of witchcraft and wizardry. She was now the star Chaser for the Wigtown Wanderers while yet again she was the only girl on her team.
Jae scrambled to grab her wrap from the chair beside her bed and stumbled to the door. What decided to greet her when she didn't wish to be awake was not exactly something she wished to see at this time of day.
Her Quidditch Captain was there to greet her. "You're not ready?"
"Huh?"
"This game is the most important of the year. We have to have our practice this morning."
"Morning?"
"Long get ready. Practice now."
She groaned. "Fine fine. I'll be right out Flint." She couldn't get the point of practicing at this damnable hour. She grabbed her robes and quickly got ready. She adjusted the blood red of her uniform and looked up in the mirror. Her black eye makeup she had worn yesterday was still evident because she had forgotten to clean it off the night before. She knew she didn't need it but the guys on her team insisted she look more feminine at practices in order to fool the other team if they were there. After she touched it up, she moved out of her room.
An impatient Marcus Flint met her. He had graduated from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry the same time she had graduated from the Carolinas. The first thing Jae ever noticed about him when she met him was his crisp British accent, but was quickly let down open noticing more about him. He didn't look too bad, in some odd troll-like way. He had what Jae thought to be "Billy-Bob" teeth. She was grateful that her Gramma was a muggle and had her have braces when she was younger. Jae had a small wire behind her lower teeth, which was called a permanent retainer. There was probably some wizarding way to straighten teeth but as with many things, Jae preferred the more logical and scientific and rational muggle way to the mystical and magical wizarding way. In Flint's case, his teeth were far beyond help, even in wizarding. Jae guess he didn't care too much. That was when she realized that the British were not really that notorious for having good teeth.
He had the ambitious Jones-like nature in her mind and he told her that he had been a Slytherin at Hogwarts. If he was anything like the rest of the house, she knew any kind of friendship with him would be difficult. Jae didn't like him anymore than she did her Captain from school. Both thought that she belonged to them, but no, she didn't. She belonged to no one. As much as she was looked down upon for being an American, she hated first and foremost being classified as belonging to someone other than her own self when she didn't.
"You really need to get with the program," he told her.
"I find it pointless to be awake this early."
"We're trying to beat Puddlemere to practice."
"So they can't practice?"
"Precisely."
"Um, I'd like to play them at full strength."
He never believed Jae when she showed what she thought to be bravery. "You sure?"
"It's more of a challenge."
The rest of their team fell behind them as they headed towards the Quidditch field. Jae enjoyed the color of her robes because she had always thought that she looked good in red. She knew she didn't look powerful, she even looked quite frail, but appearances were known to be deceiving.
The group of blue and gold robes came towards them, being led by a burly young man with shaggy brown hair.
"What are you doing here, Flint?" the Captain of the team asked in a rich Scottish accent.
"Quidditch practice," he said slightly motioning the Seeker of his team to walk next to him shoving Jae back behind him.
The man before him with the rolling accent and deep voice narrowed his intense brown eyes. "We reserved the field today, Flint. You don't have a new Seeker to train this time."
One couldn't even cut the tension between the two Captains with a knife. Jae looked around at her team uneasily then looked at the other team's Captain again and noticed the scowl on his face.
"Hold your horses, Wood, we can share the field."
"Share? Since when did you ever want to share?"
Flint looked around after there was a tug on his sleeve and looked at Jae. She gazed up at him and slightly batted her eyes in such a way that showed she needed attention. "Is this really necessary?"
He hardly seemed to notice the look she was giving him. "You just want to go back to bed."
"I play better well rested. Y'all are behaving like school-boys with a petty rivalry."
Wood scoffed, "The girl is smart you know Flint."
She looked over at him and squinted her eyes, as they changed between brown and green and back to brown again. His own brown eyes had a slight glint in them.
Flint tried to push her away to lunge at Wood but Jae held him back and told him in a scolding manner, "The game must go on. If you fight him now it could be postponed or even cancelled. And Quidditch must not be cancelled."
Their Seeker looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "She's right you know."
"Flint can't fight your own fights can you? Have to get your chick to fight them for you."
A flash of green eyes looked up and she whirled around. Without a word, Wood was on the ground. His team rushed to him and looked back up at her with fear.
"Well then. Even I couldn't have done that," Flint stated with a slight smirk.
She just glared at her own Captain and he backed of. She walked up to the fallen Wood. She noted that her victim was very well built. From looking at him she figured that he was the Keeper, but then remembered that Flint had told her that Puddlemere's Captain was a Keeper and was also on a rather long shut-out streak. Jae knew that she had to break his record of no one being able to score on him. The cracked her knuckles and looked up at the slightly backing away team of Puddlemere United. She smiled sweetly, but they still didn't appear to trust her. She looked back down at Wood with a slight smirk.
He came to after a few minutes and looked up at her in question.
Flint moved beside her. "Oliver Wood, meet Jae Long."
His eyes widened in recognition of her name and he stuttered, "Long? Jae Long?"
The entire Puddlemere United team had looks on their faces that were equal to utter terror.
She offered her hand down to Oliver Wood. "The Famous Shut-Out Keeper eh?"
He looked at her hand and then into her eyes in question and hesitated.
"Do you want up or what?" When he still hesitated she continued, "Oh common, I didn't punch you that hard."
"Uh..."
"You were only out for a few minutes. I've knocked people out for months before."
Oliver's whole team had the same expression on their faces. Each one seemed to look like they had their jaw drop to the ground.
"Well would you like to remain horizontal because you look quite vulnerable down there," she stated with slight amusement to her tone.
He seemed to lighten up a little and took her hand and she helped him up. "Uh, What did I do wrong to bring this on?"
"First and foremost, Oliver, I am not nor will I ever be anyone's 'chick.' Remember that and you'll stay conscious by my hand."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Most people act like asses due to assumptions."
He found himself staring into her hazel eyes and noticed that there was warmth there. Oliver shook his head and said, "Flint acts like he owns you."
Jae sighed noticing the glare Flint now had after he had moved away from her as she had helped Oliver up from the ground. "I know. But between you and me, he has no bloody chance."
He laughed a little. "Bloody?"
"Yeah I know. I'm picking up British slang."
Oliver smiled and Jae blinked her reaction to his smile. "Where did you go to school?" he asked her curiously.
"Carolinas..."
He recognized the school's name from an article many years back in the Daily Prophet. It was an article surrounded by much mystery. He remembered that it read about this school being completely annihilated and only one student survived because she had a Firebolt. "You're how..." he started still puzzled by all this.
"I'm your age Oliver. And yes, that one survivor was me."
"Oh... how did..."
"I can read minds. I need to cut back I think."
"What is Flint thinking if you can read minds?"
"His is a mind I'm frightened to read."
Oliver laughed which caused Flint to glare because he sensed that he was being talked about.
She laughed as well but also noticed her own Captain before Oliver did. "Nice meeting you Oliver," she added as Flint tugged her away and pushed her back from his nemesis. She fought her Captain a little and turned around quickly to throw at Oliver, "You're going down tomorrow."
He rose an eyebrow and smirked. "We will see."
As Jae left Flint snarled at Wood and said, "You stay away from her Wood."
"She's not yours," Wood challenged.
"Not like you'd notice a pretty girl anyway," he said avoiding that comment.
"If she's smart she can see right through you."
"What do you care?"
"One would think that her Captain would treat the Jae Long as a valuable player rather than a possession."
"She is a woman."
"She happens to be the fastest Chaser in the world, or maybe you have forgotten that."
"That's in the game. Out of the game she is a woman. Simple as that."
"Far from simple I would think."
"You think?"
"Obviously you don't."
"You don't know what you're talking about. Long is not your concern."
"She does not belong to you Flint. She can hold her own. She is independent."
Flint glared at Wood. "She is mine."
Wood raised an eyebrow. "Oh she is, is she? Have you checked that out with her?"
"Doesn't matter."
"She is a Quidditch player and has her own mind and equal to us."
"What do you know Wood? You know nothing about real life outside of Quidditch."
"I can tell when you're being an asshole to a pretty girl."
"You wouldn't know a pretty girl if she hit you in the face. Oh wait, she did!"
Wood narrowed his eyes. "Well at least I know if a troll hit me."
"What did you say?" Flint scowled.
"You heard me."
Before Flint could lunge at Wood, Jae jumped back in and pushed her Captain back. "Fine example to the fans you are," she scolded him.
"You should mind your own business, Long."
Oliver started at that remark and looked at Flint with what was kin to sheer hatred for that comment alone.
Jae's eyes flamed. "I'm sorry if an argument about me ain't my business." She looked at Oliver in question and then said to Flint, "Practice. Now!"
"I don't..."
"Do I have to knock you into next week to get you to listen to reason?"
Flint scowled again and headed off. He turned around and glared at Wood and told him, "See you tomorrow."
Jae sighed as she pushed her Captain away from Oliver and then looked back at him, raised her eyebrows twice and quickly walked after Flint.
Oliver Wood watched the other team leave and led his own back to practice.
As they padded away from the confrontation with their opposition Jae felt something stab her. Her hand went to her head and she felt a headache coming on. Trapped, she looked around noticing that her team hardly noticed the pain that had took over her. She fought it. She let on no fear, no pain, no weakness to any of these men. Jae knew though that this wasn't your typical headache. Something was dreadfully wrong.
There was a banging on the door, disrupting what would have been the best of mornings to stay in bed for endless hours. Jae opened her hazel eyes and gazed at the ceiling like it was the most evil thing that ever existed. It was four years after the unfortunate incidents of the late Carolinas school of witchcraft and wizardry. She was now the star Chaser for the Wigtown Wanderers while yet again she was the only girl on her team.
Jae scrambled to grab her wrap from the chair beside her bed and stumbled to the door. What decided to greet her when she didn't wish to be awake was not exactly something she wished to see at this time of day.
Her Quidditch Captain was there to greet her. "You're not ready?"
"Huh?"
"This game is the most important of the year. We have to have our practice this morning."
"Morning?"
"Long get ready. Practice now."
She groaned. "Fine fine. I'll be right out Flint." She couldn't get the point of practicing at this damnable hour. She grabbed her robes and quickly got ready. She adjusted the blood red of her uniform and looked up in the mirror. Her black eye makeup she had worn yesterday was still evident because she had forgotten to clean it off the night before. She knew she didn't need it but the guys on her team insisted she look more feminine at practices in order to fool the other team if they were there. After she touched it up, she moved out of her room.
An impatient Marcus Flint met her. He had graduated from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry the same time she had graduated from the Carolinas. The first thing Jae ever noticed about him when she met him was his crisp British accent, but was quickly let down open noticing more about him. He didn't look too bad, in some odd troll-like way. He had what Jae thought to be "Billy-Bob" teeth. She was grateful that her Gramma was a muggle and had her have braces when she was younger. Jae had a small wire behind her lower teeth, which was called a permanent retainer. There was probably some wizarding way to straighten teeth but as with many things, Jae preferred the more logical and scientific and rational muggle way to the mystical and magical wizarding way. In Flint's case, his teeth were far beyond help, even in wizarding. Jae guess he didn't care too much. That was when she realized that the British were not really that notorious for having good teeth.
He had the ambitious Jones-like nature in her mind and he told her that he had been a Slytherin at Hogwarts. If he was anything like the rest of the house, she knew any kind of friendship with him would be difficult. Jae didn't like him anymore than she did her Captain from school. Both thought that she belonged to them, but no, she didn't. She belonged to no one. As much as she was looked down upon for being an American, she hated first and foremost being classified as belonging to someone other than her own self when she didn't.
"You really need to get with the program," he told her.
"I find it pointless to be awake this early."
"We're trying to beat Puddlemere to practice."
"So they can't practice?"
"Precisely."
"Um, I'd like to play them at full strength."
He never believed Jae when she showed what she thought to be bravery. "You sure?"
"It's more of a challenge."
The rest of their team fell behind them as they headed towards the Quidditch field. Jae enjoyed the color of her robes because she had always thought that she looked good in red. She knew she didn't look powerful, she even looked quite frail, but appearances were known to be deceiving.
The group of blue and gold robes came towards them, being led by a burly young man with shaggy brown hair.
"What are you doing here, Flint?" the Captain of the team asked in a rich Scottish accent.
"Quidditch practice," he said slightly motioning the Seeker of his team to walk next to him shoving Jae back behind him.
The man before him with the rolling accent and deep voice narrowed his intense brown eyes. "We reserved the field today, Flint. You don't have a new Seeker to train this time."
One couldn't even cut the tension between the two Captains with a knife. Jae looked around at her team uneasily then looked at the other team's Captain again and noticed the scowl on his face.
"Hold your horses, Wood, we can share the field."
"Share? Since when did you ever want to share?"
Flint looked around after there was a tug on his sleeve and looked at Jae. She gazed up at him and slightly batted her eyes in such a way that showed she needed attention. "Is this really necessary?"
He hardly seemed to notice the look she was giving him. "You just want to go back to bed."
"I play better well rested. Y'all are behaving like school-boys with a petty rivalry."
Wood scoffed, "The girl is smart you know Flint."
She looked over at him and squinted her eyes, as they changed between brown and green and back to brown again. His own brown eyes had a slight glint in them.
Flint tried to push her away to lunge at Wood but Jae held him back and told him in a scolding manner, "The game must go on. If you fight him now it could be postponed or even cancelled. And Quidditch must not be cancelled."
Their Seeker looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "She's right you know."
"Flint can't fight your own fights can you? Have to get your chick to fight them for you."
A flash of green eyes looked up and she whirled around. Without a word, Wood was on the ground. His team rushed to him and looked back up at her with fear.
"Well then. Even I couldn't have done that," Flint stated with a slight smirk.
She just glared at her own Captain and he backed of. She walked up to the fallen Wood. She noted that her victim was very well built. From looking at him she figured that he was the Keeper, but then remembered that Flint had told her that Puddlemere's Captain was a Keeper and was also on a rather long shut-out streak. Jae knew that she had to break his record of no one being able to score on him. The cracked her knuckles and looked up at the slightly backing away team of Puddlemere United. She smiled sweetly, but they still didn't appear to trust her. She looked back down at Wood with a slight smirk.
He came to after a few minutes and looked up at her in question.
Flint moved beside her. "Oliver Wood, meet Jae Long."
His eyes widened in recognition of her name and he stuttered, "Long? Jae Long?"
The entire Puddlemere United team had looks on their faces that were equal to utter terror.
She offered her hand down to Oliver Wood. "The Famous Shut-Out Keeper eh?"
He looked at her hand and then into her eyes in question and hesitated.
"Do you want up or what?" When he still hesitated she continued, "Oh common, I didn't punch you that hard."
"Uh..."
"You were only out for a few minutes. I've knocked people out for months before."
Oliver's whole team had the same expression on their faces. Each one seemed to look like they had their jaw drop to the ground.
"Well would you like to remain horizontal because you look quite vulnerable down there," she stated with slight amusement to her tone.
He seemed to lighten up a little and took her hand and she helped him up. "Uh, What did I do wrong to bring this on?"
"First and foremost, Oliver, I am not nor will I ever be anyone's 'chick.' Remember that and you'll stay conscious by my hand."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Most people act like asses due to assumptions."
He found himself staring into her hazel eyes and noticed that there was warmth there. Oliver shook his head and said, "Flint acts like he owns you."
Jae sighed noticing the glare Flint now had after he had moved away from her as she had helped Oliver up from the ground. "I know. But between you and me, he has no bloody chance."
He laughed a little. "Bloody?"
"Yeah I know. I'm picking up British slang."
Oliver smiled and Jae blinked her reaction to his smile. "Where did you go to school?" he asked her curiously.
"Carolinas..."
He recognized the school's name from an article many years back in the Daily Prophet. It was an article surrounded by much mystery. He remembered that it read about this school being completely annihilated and only one student survived because she had a Firebolt. "You're how..." he started still puzzled by all this.
"I'm your age Oliver. And yes, that one survivor was me."
"Oh... how did..."
"I can read minds. I need to cut back I think."
"What is Flint thinking if you can read minds?"
"His is a mind I'm frightened to read."
Oliver laughed which caused Flint to glare because he sensed that he was being talked about.
She laughed as well but also noticed her own Captain before Oliver did. "Nice meeting you Oliver," she added as Flint tugged her away and pushed her back from his nemesis. She fought her Captain a little and turned around quickly to throw at Oliver, "You're going down tomorrow."
He rose an eyebrow and smirked. "We will see."
As Jae left Flint snarled at Wood and said, "You stay away from her Wood."
"She's not yours," Wood challenged.
"Not like you'd notice a pretty girl anyway," he said avoiding that comment.
"If she's smart she can see right through you."
"What do you care?"
"One would think that her Captain would treat the Jae Long as a valuable player rather than a possession."
"She is a woman."
"She happens to be the fastest Chaser in the world, or maybe you have forgotten that."
"That's in the game. Out of the game she is a woman. Simple as that."
"Far from simple I would think."
"You think?"
"Obviously you don't."
"You don't know what you're talking about. Long is not your concern."
"She does not belong to you Flint. She can hold her own. She is independent."
Flint glared at Wood. "She is mine."
Wood raised an eyebrow. "Oh she is, is she? Have you checked that out with her?"
"Doesn't matter."
"She is a Quidditch player and has her own mind and equal to us."
"What do you know Wood? You know nothing about real life outside of Quidditch."
"I can tell when you're being an asshole to a pretty girl."
"You wouldn't know a pretty girl if she hit you in the face. Oh wait, she did!"
Wood narrowed his eyes. "Well at least I know if a troll hit me."
"What did you say?" Flint scowled.
"You heard me."
Before Flint could lunge at Wood, Jae jumped back in and pushed her Captain back. "Fine example to the fans you are," she scolded him.
"You should mind your own business, Long."
Oliver started at that remark and looked at Flint with what was kin to sheer hatred for that comment alone.
Jae's eyes flamed. "I'm sorry if an argument about me ain't my business." She looked at Oliver in question and then said to Flint, "Practice. Now!"
"I don't..."
"Do I have to knock you into next week to get you to listen to reason?"
Flint scowled again and headed off. He turned around and glared at Wood and told him, "See you tomorrow."
Jae sighed as she pushed her Captain away from Oliver and then looked back at him, raised her eyebrows twice and quickly walked after Flint.
Oliver Wood watched the other team leave and led his own back to practice.
As they padded away from the confrontation with their opposition Jae felt something stab her. Her hand went to her head and she felt a headache coming on. Trapped, she looked around noticing that her team hardly noticed the pain that had took over her. She fought it. She let on no fear, no pain, no weakness to any of these men. Jae knew though that this wasn't your typical headache. Something was dreadfully wrong.