Fun and Games!
A/N: To all you quidditch fans I apologize in advance! I had an extremely hard time writing about the match. I'll fix it as much as I can.
The next day in transfiguration Leticia could not stop talking about the Hogsmead visit. She got so excited every time she talked about Rodrick that the grasshopper she was trying to transfigure into a caterpillar kept jumping off the table. They were trying hard to keep their voices down since the boys were only a few tables behind them. Olivia, who had already managed to transfigure her grasshopper, was now attempting to turn her caterpillar a different color.
"Tish! What are you doing?" Olivia looked over at Leticia who was holding the grasshopper far to close to her face.
"I think this thing's got something against me, it won't budge." she put it back down on the table and with a far more determined look on her face, attempted the spell again. This time the grasshopper gave a little jerk and turned a darker shade of green. "Well at least its something, come on Herman do it for mommy"
Sylvia and Olivia broke out in laughter. "I truly think you've lost it!"
"Hey a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do." Leticia answered and then gave it a go with Herman once more.
Out of curiosity and with a cautious glance at Professor Frigler Olivia attempted a non-verbal accelerated growth spell on her caterpillar. They had started studying non-verbal spells in D.A.D.A and she had only recently managed to disarm her partner so she didn't expect it to work. But to her surprise her caterpillar immediately spun into a cocoon and seconds later a beautiful monarch emerged and quickly flew out of an opened window. Olivia looked around to see if anyone had witnessed the event but they were all to busy with their spells. As they were clearing up their tables, Leticia doing it rather slowly since she had finally managed to transfigure Herman, James came up to Olivia and whispered quietly as he passed. "Nice butterfly."
At Lunch Leticia was still going on about Rodrick.
"Have you noticed how thick his hair is? I mean it's almost unnatural." She was nibbling on a piece of fruit while subconsciously running a hand through her own hair.
"I just thought of something," Sylvia said grabbing a piece of bread. "If he has that much hair on his head...well can you imagine what the rest of him looks like?"
Olivia gasped and Leticia almost choked on her plum.
Sylvia, noticing their reactions stopped and thought about what she had just said. "I mean like on his back or arms! You guys are so bad." She threw a piece of bread at Leticia who was laughing hysterically.
"Yeah, sure, we know what you meant," she said slyly.
"I'm off then," Olivia stood up and started gathering her stuff.
"What? You still got time before D.A.D.A starts what's the rush?" Leticia asked even though she knew the answer.
"Hey maybe some time soon he will be walking to class with you." Sylvia chimed in trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh stop it you two," she told them blushing slightly.
It was not only James who kept her eager to get to her DADA classes. Aside from being the most difficult class of the year it was also turning out to be her favorite. The lessons were challenging and exciting all at once. Professor Grandhorn had all the students who had already been successful with non-verbal spells group together so they could continue refining their techniques while he helped the rest of the class. There were only a few students in the group James, Rodrick, and herself included. They worked in rotating pairs practicing simple shielding and disarming spells. Olivia noticed however that when the boys were paired off the spells were a bit more elaborate. A couple of times she saw them fly a few feet across the room or wobble away with their legs twitching. When it came time for her to be paired off with James she found that they both had extremely fast reflexes and they could not disarm each other. After a few attempts, they gave up realizing how silly they looked standing there in silence with their wands waving around aimlessly.
"You've gotten really good at those," James said as he changed partners.
"You're not to bad yourself," she pointed out. Her new partner Rosalinda Carver was a little less experienced and was quickly picking her wand up off the floor.
The day before the game, Olivia finally got a little taste of the rivalry between the houses at Hogwart's and learned a little more about Slytherin. She and Leticia had been taking a break from their work in the library and were headed towards the common room when they ran into Rodrick. He was with the Gryffindor beater Olivia recognized as Bonne Brooke from her Arithmancy class. They were apparently in a very serious discussion because neither of them had looked up when they called hello. Finally Olivia had to yell for a response.
"Oh, sorry guys," Rodrick smiled, "what's up?"
Leticia raised an eyebrow at Bonne, "I could ask you the same question. What's with the deep convo?"
Rodrick looked around and then lowered his voice, "It's just that Bonne here is worried. It's a day before the game and Notts and couple of other guys from the Slytherin team have threatened to hex her and Tonya."
Tonya was a chaser and a very nice girl from what Olivia had noticed. She couldn't believe that anybody would actually want to hurt them. "Oh come on they wouldn't do something like that."
"Listen, you haven't been here that long so trust me when I say that anyone in Slytherin, especially Notts, is capable of it. It's the kind of dirty foulplay they are known for. That Notts character is their leader and he usually takes it upon himself to terrorize other people, with the help of his cronies, of course" Rodrick said this as a look of disgust came over his face.
"Yeah, last year two Ravenclaw players ended up in the hospital wing right before a game." Leticia added. "One with a broken wrist and the other with a concussion it was nasty."
"Okay, this isn't making me feel better guys." Bonne said her voice shaking a little. "Maybe I should just go wait in the common room for my next class."
"Good idea we'll go with you." They said goodbye to Rodrick and headed down the hall with Bonne between them.
In the common room Olivia used the opportunity to get some information on Slytherin house from Leticia.
"Well from what I've learned since I arrived at Hogwart's, they are all a rotten bunch. I mean, I don't think I've ever met anyone who had anything nice to say about them." Leticia was flipping through a Muggle magazine.
Olivia was frowning, "Don't you think people are just over generalizing a bit. I mean sometimes it only takes one bad apple." Deep down she was trying to find the slightest excuse for her father, something that would allow her to separate him from the Slytherin group.
"Yeah I guess that could be true, but like I said before no one has had anything good to say about them for years. Plus there's the fact that most of the people who came out of that house turned to the darkside. There was a rumor going around a while back that Demitri Notts' father had been one of Lord Voldermort's followers. Of course it was just a rumor, but it's a pretty nasty one if you ask me" Leticia shrugged and began reading.
Olivia played with her hair nervously, had she just heard Leticia mention Lord Voldermort's followers? She might not have known to much about the Wizarding world but she knew enough to understand that anyone associated with that name was bad news. She didn't want to think of it, If the Malfoy family had been in Slytherin house for generations than it was more than likely that someone had turned to the dark side. A picture of her grandfather flashed in her head, from what her father had said back at the manor it seemed probable. Her heart ached.
"You ready to go back to the library?" Leticia asked putting her magazine away.
Regaining her thoughts and quickly composing herself Olivia answered, "How about a snack first?" They headed towards the exit.
Olivia had seen a few Quidditch matches before, but none played with as much energy and force as this match was turning out to be. Within the first fifteen minutes Gryffindor had scored twice forcing the Slytherin team into more brutal efforts earlier in the game. Their attempts got more violent as the game went on and soon Tonya had been thrown off her broom by a bludger hit from a severely close range. But even with all the sneaky attempts Gryffindor managed to keep ahead.
There was a moment of nervousness when Rodrick had received a Bludger to the shoulder from the brute Notts and had almost fallen off his broom. Leticia, who was sitting next to her, stood up and held on to Olivia's shoulder pretty tightly. But he was able to stay on and not immediately after, executed an amazing save. Considering his size he was pretty nimble on his broom. Olivia's heart pounded as she cheered loudly every time Gryffindor scored. She spent a good amount of the game watching James. First he was high above the pitch holding perfectly still watching and then he was flying across the field in an apparent attempt at the snitch. Olivia immediately recognized his amazing flying abilities. He seemed to move seamlessly and he was so fast that she often only caught the blur of his robes soaring by. In one of these instances the Slytherin seeker was soon at his side. The snitch was finally in sight and it was a race between the two seekers. In no time the snitch had completely changed course and only James was able to command his broom fast enough, he was quickly on its tail before the other seeker had even realized what had happened. In a matter of seconds James had secured the snitch and the stands erupted in cheers. Olivia felt that her voice would become strained if she continued screaming the way she was.
The Gryffindors filed out of the stands and there was talk of a celebration in the common room. Looking around Olivia was hoping to catch James before she went back to the castle and congratulate him.
"Don't bother Olivia, you won't find him right now he's probably talking to his father." Leticia said as she noticed Olivia glancing around anxiously. "James' father always comes down to his first and last games. Been doing it since, like, forever." She pointed, "Look see? There they are."
In the middle of the field wasa group of the team members were talking excitedly and giving each other high-fives. She saw James standing next to a man who could have been his older brother. He had the same unruly head of hair as James did and was the same height, just a little slimmer. His face was handsome and Olivia could see that he had retained some of his youthful appearance. She even thought she recognized the circular glasses he was wearing from a picture she once saw in a textbook. She wanted so much to catch James' attention but they walked by and he didn't look in their direction. She would have to wait until he went up to the common room.
When they stepped into the common room the party was well under way. There were plates and plates of chips and pastries, and even more flasks of pumpkin juice. Delvon Munchim had even managed to set off a couple of fire works that were swirling above the room. Every one seemed to be discussing the days match and their predictions for future ones, Olivia grabbed a flask of pumpkin juice and sat down by the fireplace talking to Elevine Smith another sixth year girl who seemed to be more excited about the fire works than the game, she kept 'oohing' and 'ahhing' every time they changed colors. Little by little the members of the team came through the portrait hole and every time they did the whole common room erupted in cheers. Finally, James and Rodrick appeared and were greeted by the loudest applause. It took them both several minutes to get through the crowd recounting the details of the game over and over. Finally James broke away and grabbing a chocolate éclair took a seat next to Olivia.
"I don't think I've been to a more exciting game. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!" She handed him a cup of juice.
"Thanks, there's nothing like the first game." He took the cup and sipped. "Did you see Rodrick's save? Had me worried for a minute there. That git Nott really gave him a hit, poor Tonya almost had to be taken to the hospital wing."
"Yes, you should have seen Leticia I probably have a bruise from where she was grabbing me so hard." She rubbed her shoulder as she spoke. "You were incredible by the way. I've never seen anyone fly like that before."
"I had a great teacher. My dad used to take me out when I was little; I think I was on a broom before I learned to walk. I say it's in my blood, he's a great flier as well." He smiled when he spoke about his dad.
"I saw him out on the field with you, Tish told me he comes to your first and last games. That's pretty decent of him."
"Yeah especially him being an Auror and all. I think he would come to every game if his job wasn't so important." He set his cup down and at that moment Rodrick joined them followed by Leticia.
"That was a great game, I'm beat. Plus my shoulder still hurts." He stretched his arm out trying to relieve the tension.
"Here let me help." And with that Leticia grabbed his shoulder and began rubbing it, with approving moans from Rodrick.
"So what should we do?" James said trying not to sound uncomfortable under the circumstances.
"Oh I know," Leticia cried out, a little too hard since Rodrick let out a cry of pain. "Oh sorry. Let's play two truths and a lie. It's a Muggle game," she answered James quizzical stare.
"I've heard of it," Olivia added. "I thought it was a drinking game?"
"It could also be used as an ice breaker. Here are the rules. Each person is going to make three statements about themselves. Two of them will be true and one will be a lie, everyone else will have to guess which one it is!" Leticia said excitedly. "Why don't you go first Rodrick?"
He was leaning back against Leticia in obvious ecstasy over the massage he was receiving. "Okay lets see, um, I shave my chest, I have a talent for baking, and my father is a werewolf."
At this Leticia stopped her massage and hit him playfully, "Rod! It can't be such an obvious lie. That's not how you do it, here let me show you guys." She thought for a minute, Olivia glanced at Rodrick who was laughing suspiciously with James. "Olivia you sit this one out cause you'll be able to guess easier. Okay here goes: I have a ring in my belly button, before I came to Hogwart's I had never seen snow, and my great uncle is a stand up comic."
The group thought for a moment and finally it was James who answered, "It has to be the one with the snow."
"Yeah, its the one about the snow, everyone seen snow before," Rodrick agreed taking a handful of chips.
A smile came across Leticia's face, "Nope, ha ha. Got you guys good didn't I? My uncle's not a comedian he's an accountant."
At this James responded, "Wait a minute that means you really hadn't seen snow before?"
"Well you see," she said as she stopped her shoulder healing and reached for the plate of chips in front of her. "I'm from California and it's always hot over there. We really don't have much of any weather over there, let alone snow. I could have taken trips to Aspen and such, but I prefer the beach."
Olivia already knew this she also knew that now that she had seen it, Leticia wasn't too fond of the snow.
Then Rodrick cried out, "Hey that means you do have a ring in your bellybutton. Oh you have got to show us."
Leticia stood up and lifted her cardigan sweater there it was a diamond stud dangling from her belly button, "I got it two years ago down on Venice beach. It was kind of painful."
"I think it's brilliant," Rodrick said his eyes still wide from what he had just seen.
"What about you Olivia, do you have one too?" James asked hopefully.
Laughing Olivia said, "No sorry, but just so you don't feel left out." she stood up and flashed the group her flat stomach as well.
"I think I like this game," James said rather slowly.
A/N: hey people how about dropping me a line? Ciao