Maggie shook Jen awake earlier the next morning than usual. "Jen! Get
up! We have to get down to breakfast now!" Maggie's hazel eyes were
sparkling a bit more than usual. She had already gotten dressed and combed
her short red hair.
"Aw, Maggie, do I have to?" Jen whined.
"Come on!" Maggie tugged on her friend's arm insistently. Jen got out of bed compliantly, and put on her uniform and robes. She had no sooner pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail when Maggie was tugging her out the dormitory door and down the steps into the common room.
"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Jen said breathlessly as she followed her friend down the stairs toward the great hall.
"Jen, Ryan is going to be there!"
"Ry-, wait, you mean Ekart!?" Jen asked in disbelief. Ryan Ekart was tall and skinny, and had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was a quiet, relatively shy and reserved boy, but always very polite. He was also a chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
"Yes. Jen, I thought you knew!" Maggie stopped on a landing and faced her friend. "I.well, I fancy him." Maggie said, blushing. "I guess I just didn't get the chance to tell you since you've been so busy with Quidditch."
"Maggie, that's great! I can totally help hook you up!" Jen said, grinning. "But, why do we have to go to breakfast so early?"
"Ryan goes early every day, he needs the extra morning hours to catch up on an Arithmancy class he's taking. See, how I said you've been busy with Quidditch? Well, him being on your team, he is too!"
"Ah. I see. Well, does he know? Have you talked to him?"
"Maggie looked at the ground and started walking again. "Maggie." Jen said in a mock-stern voice.
"Its just, well. I haven't really talked to him all that much. He just, err, helped me pick up my books in the hall one day. and ever since then we've been greeting each other in the corridors and such." They had come to the doors of the great hall.
"Follow me, I'll help you out." Jen said, and she walked to the Ravenclaw table and right over to Ryan, who was already in his Quidditch robes, making sure to sit down across for him, which left the only empty seat next to him. Maggie sat down, looking uneasy. "Hey, Ekart! What's up?" Jen said, helping herself to some toast and eggs.
"Nothing really," Ryan said as he put down his cup. "Just trying to get out of here so I can finish my essay before practice." Jen gave Maggie a look, urging her to say something, but Ryan beat her to it.
"Maggie, how are you? I didn't know you were friends with Jen!" Ryan said warmly.
"Well, you know, who isn't?" Maggie laughed.
Ten minutes later Ryan excused himself and set off to work on his essay. "That was good, Maggs! I can totally see you two together!" Jen said encouragingly. "We'd better head back to the common room though, I have practice in 25 minutes. The two girls left the table and headed out of the great hall. Just as they walked out, Jen ran headfirst into someone wearing a lot of green. "Oh, sorry!" She exclaimed, before even looking to see who it was. It was Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch team Captain. Flint was a large, well-built boy with a square jaw and a mass of dark hair. But his most prominent feature by far were his crooked teeth. They were especially noticeable now that he had a malicious grin on his face.
"I'll forgive you, Jen. If you go out with me." Marcus said smoothly, as two of his friends beside him guffawed loudly.
"She wouldn't date you if you were the last person on Earth!" Maggie started hotly.
"Maggie," Jen said warningly. "We have to go, see you later, Marcus." Jen said nicely but formally, and led Maggie away from the now snickering Slytherin 6th years.
"I can't believe you can be nice to that slime ball!" Maggie said, fuming. Maggie was never a fan of the Slytherin, particularly Marcus. "Can't he take a hint? How many times has he asked you out or hit on you, and how many times have you turned him down!?"
"Maggie, it's ok. I just ignore it." Jen stated matter-of-factly. Maggie dropped the subject. She knew that her friend almost never lost her cool. Jen was nice to everyone. That was why so many of the students at Hogwarts were naturally drawn to her. And Jen's most intriguing attribute of all was that despite how everyone loved her, she was very humble all of the time. Always trying to help people. Nobody quite understood how she did it, but she did. And she was respected for it. The only person that Jen ever got mad at, in fact, was her brother, Roger. And even then, all Jen had to do was flash that dazzling, dimpled smile of hers and her brother would forgive her in an instant.
Once back in the dormitory, Jen brushed her teeth and then hurried to the locker rooms. Roger and Cho were already there. Russel Bailey walked in right after Jen. Russel was a shorter boy of African descent. He was very handsome and quite the joker, always making the team laugh and picking their spirits up when they were low. Jen went to the girls' side of the room and changed into her uniform, then came back and sat down by Cho. Roger had gone to get the balls and beater bats from Madame Hooch. Just before practice started, Brent, Ryan, and Avery showed up together. "Whew, we made it. Good thing Roger didn't spot us, eh mates?" Avery said in his lilting Irish accent. "Brent here was changing his hair again." Brent's hair was now tipped with a fiery red color. Jen laughed.
"Speaking of hair," she grinned, "Roger is going to kill you if you don't cut yours soon, Radford." Avery's mop of sandy blond hair had grown past his eyebrows and was now nearly obstructing his vision.
"What of it? It's fine, leave it be!" Avery said indignantly, pushing his hair back on his forehead. Just then they heard Roger's whistle from the pitch.
"I really wish he didn't use that darn thing. Whatever happened to just a good old yell?" Cho said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, let's not keep the capt'n waiting! Brent exclaimed, getting up and heading out of the locker rooms. The rest of the team followed him. The Gryffindor team was leaving the pitch as the Ravenclaws walked onto it.
"Man, they practice bright and early!" Ryan said, in awe.
"Yeah, we thought we had it bad!" Jen said, laughing. "Why are they out here so early, anyway?"
"It's their Captain, Wood." Russel answered. "He's a die hard when it comes to Quidditch. I hear he's a great captain, but a very demanding one."
"Well, he must do a good job, the Gryffindors are great players!" Jen said cheerily. But the others groaned.
"Don't remind us, Davies." Russel moaned.
"Yeah, we're playing them soon!" Brent chimed in. Just then they passed the scarlet-clad Gryffindors. They all looked worn but satisfied. Their Captain, Oliver Wood was straggling behind them, having brought the case of balls along with him. When he passed Jen met his eye and he grinned, revealing the warmest brown eyes Jen thought she'd ever seen. She grinned stupidly at him but caught herself. "What are you thinking, girl? You've never noticed him before this!" Jen said to herself.
Practice was great. Brent had the best one of all, not letting a single shot go by him. Avery and Jen didn't have much to work on; they were a seamless pair, almost reading each other's minds on the field. Roger seemed to get more and more stressed as the first game of the season approached. They were going to play Gryffindor first, and Gryffindor had won the Quidditch cup the year before. But Jen was slightly disturbed. All through practice she had found herself recalling the image of Oliver. His smile, his eyes. what was she thinking? She knew Roger didn't like Oliver much but she had never really known why. Jealousy, probably. Every girl in the school liked Oliver. And Roger liked to consider himself a ladies man.
"Hey, sis! You gonna let me pack up that bat or do you want to keep it as a souvenir?" Roger's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Oh, yeah, sorry!" She jogged back to where Roger was chaining down the bludgers, and handed him her beater's bat. Then she caught up with the rest of her team who were heading toward the locker rooms.
During the next few days, Jen pushed Oliver Wood completely from her mind.
"Aw, Maggie, do I have to?" Jen whined.
"Come on!" Maggie tugged on her friend's arm insistently. Jen got out of bed compliantly, and put on her uniform and robes. She had no sooner pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail when Maggie was tugging her out the dormitory door and down the steps into the common room.
"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Jen said breathlessly as she followed her friend down the stairs toward the great hall.
"Jen, Ryan is going to be there!"
"Ry-, wait, you mean Ekart!?" Jen asked in disbelief. Ryan Ekart was tall and skinny, and had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was a quiet, relatively shy and reserved boy, but always very polite. He was also a chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
"Yes. Jen, I thought you knew!" Maggie stopped on a landing and faced her friend. "I.well, I fancy him." Maggie said, blushing. "I guess I just didn't get the chance to tell you since you've been so busy with Quidditch."
"Maggie, that's great! I can totally help hook you up!" Jen said, grinning. "But, why do we have to go to breakfast so early?"
"Ryan goes early every day, he needs the extra morning hours to catch up on an Arithmancy class he's taking. See, how I said you've been busy with Quidditch? Well, him being on your team, he is too!"
"Ah. I see. Well, does he know? Have you talked to him?"
"Maggie looked at the ground and started walking again. "Maggie." Jen said in a mock-stern voice.
"Its just, well. I haven't really talked to him all that much. He just, err, helped me pick up my books in the hall one day. and ever since then we've been greeting each other in the corridors and such." They had come to the doors of the great hall.
"Follow me, I'll help you out." Jen said, and she walked to the Ravenclaw table and right over to Ryan, who was already in his Quidditch robes, making sure to sit down across for him, which left the only empty seat next to him. Maggie sat down, looking uneasy. "Hey, Ekart! What's up?" Jen said, helping herself to some toast and eggs.
"Nothing really," Ryan said as he put down his cup. "Just trying to get out of here so I can finish my essay before practice." Jen gave Maggie a look, urging her to say something, but Ryan beat her to it.
"Maggie, how are you? I didn't know you were friends with Jen!" Ryan said warmly.
"Well, you know, who isn't?" Maggie laughed.
Ten minutes later Ryan excused himself and set off to work on his essay. "That was good, Maggs! I can totally see you two together!" Jen said encouragingly. "We'd better head back to the common room though, I have practice in 25 minutes. The two girls left the table and headed out of the great hall. Just as they walked out, Jen ran headfirst into someone wearing a lot of green. "Oh, sorry!" She exclaimed, before even looking to see who it was. It was Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch team Captain. Flint was a large, well-built boy with a square jaw and a mass of dark hair. But his most prominent feature by far were his crooked teeth. They were especially noticeable now that he had a malicious grin on his face.
"I'll forgive you, Jen. If you go out with me." Marcus said smoothly, as two of his friends beside him guffawed loudly.
"She wouldn't date you if you were the last person on Earth!" Maggie started hotly.
"Maggie," Jen said warningly. "We have to go, see you later, Marcus." Jen said nicely but formally, and led Maggie away from the now snickering Slytherin 6th years.
"I can't believe you can be nice to that slime ball!" Maggie said, fuming. Maggie was never a fan of the Slytherin, particularly Marcus. "Can't he take a hint? How many times has he asked you out or hit on you, and how many times have you turned him down!?"
"Maggie, it's ok. I just ignore it." Jen stated matter-of-factly. Maggie dropped the subject. She knew that her friend almost never lost her cool. Jen was nice to everyone. That was why so many of the students at Hogwarts were naturally drawn to her. And Jen's most intriguing attribute of all was that despite how everyone loved her, she was very humble all of the time. Always trying to help people. Nobody quite understood how she did it, but she did. And she was respected for it. The only person that Jen ever got mad at, in fact, was her brother, Roger. And even then, all Jen had to do was flash that dazzling, dimpled smile of hers and her brother would forgive her in an instant.
Once back in the dormitory, Jen brushed her teeth and then hurried to the locker rooms. Roger and Cho were already there. Russel Bailey walked in right after Jen. Russel was a shorter boy of African descent. He was very handsome and quite the joker, always making the team laugh and picking their spirits up when they were low. Jen went to the girls' side of the room and changed into her uniform, then came back and sat down by Cho. Roger had gone to get the balls and beater bats from Madame Hooch. Just before practice started, Brent, Ryan, and Avery showed up together. "Whew, we made it. Good thing Roger didn't spot us, eh mates?" Avery said in his lilting Irish accent. "Brent here was changing his hair again." Brent's hair was now tipped with a fiery red color. Jen laughed.
"Speaking of hair," she grinned, "Roger is going to kill you if you don't cut yours soon, Radford." Avery's mop of sandy blond hair had grown past his eyebrows and was now nearly obstructing his vision.
"What of it? It's fine, leave it be!" Avery said indignantly, pushing his hair back on his forehead. Just then they heard Roger's whistle from the pitch.
"I really wish he didn't use that darn thing. Whatever happened to just a good old yell?" Cho said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, let's not keep the capt'n waiting! Brent exclaimed, getting up and heading out of the locker rooms. The rest of the team followed him. The Gryffindor team was leaving the pitch as the Ravenclaws walked onto it.
"Man, they practice bright and early!" Ryan said, in awe.
"Yeah, we thought we had it bad!" Jen said, laughing. "Why are they out here so early, anyway?"
"It's their Captain, Wood." Russel answered. "He's a die hard when it comes to Quidditch. I hear he's a great captain, but a very demanding one."
"Well, he must do a good job, the Gryffindors are great players!" Jen said cheerily. But the others groaned.
"Don't remind us, Davies." Russel moaned.
"Yeah, we're playing them soon!" Brent chimed in. Just then they passed the scarlet-clad Gryffindors. They all looked worn but satisfied. Their Captain, Oliver Wood was straggling behind them, having brought the case of balls along with him. When he passed Jen met his eye and he grinned, revealing the warmest brown eyes Jen thought she'd ever seen. She grinned stupidly at him but caught herself. "What are you thinking, girl? You've never noticed him before this!" Jen said to herself.
Practice was great. Brent had the best one of all, not letting a single shot go by him. Avery and Jen didn't have much to work on; they were a seamless pair, almost reading each other's minds on the field. Roger seemed to get more and more stressed as the first game of the season approached. They were going to play Gryffindor first, and Gryffindor had won the Quidditch cup the year before. But Jen was slightly disturbed. All through practice she had found herself recalling the image of Oliver. His smile, his eyes. what was she thinking? She knew Roger didn't like Oliver much but she had never really known why. Jealousy, probably. Every girl in the school liked Oliver. And Roger liked to consider himself a ladies man.
"Hey, sis! You gonna let me pack up that bat or do you want to keep it as a souvenir?" Roger's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Oh, yeah, sorry!" She jogged back to where Roger was chaining down the bludgers, and handed him her beater's bat. Then she caught up with the rest of her team who were heading toward the locker rooms.
During the next few days, Jen pushed Oliver Wood completely from her mind.