Been a bit distracted lately, oops XD
(Wish I could include more characters -_-)
"And Lopez has the Quaffle! She's closing in on the scoring area...Oh, and she scores on Murphy!"
Slytherin cheers from the stands, and Dorothea swoops away with a smug grin over her shoulder, fist-pumping. Fallon scowls at her from the netpost as one of his teammates snatches up the Quaffle, determined to save the next shot. It's pouring rain, the wind is blowing at almost fifty kilometers per hour, and at this point, it's pretty much just the two of them still playing with as much enthusiasm as they all started out with.
A Bludger nearly knocks Ryouko off her broom, and she veers away just in time, berating herself for spacing out. But she can't help it; it's kind of mesmerizing. Dorothea moves like an eagle on her broom—all deadly intent, not a single movement wasted. She and Fallon seem to have some sort of personal rivalry going on, and every time Dorothea gets near the Hufflepuff goals, the entire crowd holds its breath.
It's not just them either; every one of the transfer students flies like a daredevil, making hairpin turns and sheer dives that most students wouldn't try on a regular basis. Granted, Ryouko hasn't seen the full flying capabilities of either Fallon or Philip, since they both play Keeper, but they've both pulled off some spectacular saves. Fallon has the typical muscular, bulky build of a Beater, and Philip, built like a sparrow, all elbows and speed, has the look of a Chaser or a Seeker, but both of them have cat-like reflexes.
As for Yuliy, Ryouko snooped around at one of the Gryffindor practices, and Merlin, that boy can fly. He plays Seeker, and her mouth goes dry as she thinks of what it'll be like to compete against him, head-on.
A cheer goes up from the Hufflepuff section when Fallon manages to catch the next shot. He hurls it to one of his team's Chasers and makes an 'I'm watching you' hand motion at Dorothea, who simply grins. Making a hand motion at her other Chasers, she arrows after the Hufflepuff Chaser who has the Quaffle. One of the Slytherin Beaters slams a Bludger at the Hufflepuff, and a Slytherin Chaser snatches the Quaffle. They all bank around sharply, with Dorothea in the lead again. She's the only one who's been able to get past Fallon.
At the last second, Dorothea acts as if she's going to feint, then hurls the Quaffle straight at Fallon, who darted to the side to anticipate her feint. The Quaffle soars right past the tips of his fingers, and he grins ruefully as Slytherin scores another ten points.
Suddenly, a glimmer of gold catches Ryouko's attention, and she takes off instantly. The sound of the wind howling drowns out all the commentary and cheering, and she swerves in and out of flying Bludgers and bodies, pressing herself low to her broom with a grin. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Hufflepuff's Seeker reacting, chasing after her and the Snitch, but it's too late.
Triumph surges through her as she snatches the golden Snitch out of the air, and the stands explode into cheering. Banking around easily, she pulls her broom to a stop and thrusts her fist into the air, basking in a triumphant glow. The satisfaction of earning O's in class can't be compared to the rush of euphoria from catching the Snitch, tiny wings beating furiously in her hand.
As her teammates gather around her to celebrate, she finds herself scanning the stands for maybe a glimpse of that entrancing blue. But it eludes her, so she contents herself with shouting herself hoarse with her teammates, temporarily setting aside all dignity to jump around and holler like a hooligan.
"Hey, nice catch!" Dorothea yells over the ruckus, throwing an arm around Ryouko's shoulders, and the younger girl beams at the praise.
"You were brilliant too!" she shouts back.
Later at the party, Ryouko manages to get away from Makie and Shino for a second to talk to Dorothea, who's sipping butterbeer by the emerald fireplace.
"You flew great," the brunette starts with a smile, sitting down in the couch next to her.
Dorothea flashes a modest smile. "You did too. That Hufflepuff Seeker had nothing on you."
Warm delight spreads through her chest at the compliment, especially one from such a talented witch. "Thank you."
The older girl chuckles. "I should be the one saying that," she laughs, lifting her butterbeer in Ryouko's direction briefly. "Thanks to you, we won the match, and I won my bet."
"It was a team effort," Ryouko demurs, though she's curious. "What was your bet?"
Her teal eyes gleam with a cat-like smugness. "I get to make Fallon drink a whole bottle of firewhisky next time we go out. He hates it," she declares, her grin downright diabolical.
Ryouko giggles uncertainly. "Um, I don't think The Three Broomsticks sells firewhisky…" They must both be legal age to drink already, then.
Dorothea just shrugs one shoulder, still grinning. "Well, y'know," she says, and leaves it at that.
The brunette shifts awkwardly when no more explanation comes. "So...are you two dating, then?" she asks, curious for any more information on this strange new bunch.
But Dorothea outright laughs at that, and has to put her butterbeer down to avoid spilling it as she doubles over. A few people give them strange looks, then go back to partying.
"Oh, Merlin, no," she cackles when she straightens up, eyes gleaming with mirth. "We're best friends. Family, even. That's really all there is to it."
She nods slowly, a bit jealous. Makie and Shino are wonderful friends, if a bit much at times, but she only knows them because all three of their families are old, ancient ones. Their parents were the ones who introduced them and basically told them to be friends. Which they are. She likes them just fine, but she doesn't know if she can really call them family.
"What would've happened if we lost?" Ryouko asks. "In your bet, I mean."
Dorothea shudders and leans in conspiratorially, prompting Ryouko to do the same, and the seventh year whispers gravely, "I would've had to give up coffee for a week."
Slightly let down by this anticlimax, Ryouko sits back. "Okay…" Going by the grim expression on Dorothea's face, though, she thinks it might be best if she didn't express her opinion on that half of the bet.
"So, I've Yuliy do a lot of nonverbal magic in class, especially Defense," Ryouko starts, trying to be smooth and casual. "Can you do that too?"
Dorothea's lips quirk in a small smile, eyebrows drifting up, and Ryouko has the feeling that she's not being as subtle as she thinks she is. "Sure, yeah. We all can."
Ryouko blinks in surprise. "Even Philip?"
"Yeah. He's a bit shaky with it, but we're all pretty decent at it, as a general rule."
She frowns. "...As a general rule?"
Dorothea looks almost guilty for a split second. "Ah, it's nothing. You're a fifth year, right? Know what you wanna do after Hogwarts yet?"
In response, Ryouko lets out an exasperated groan, and Dorothea chuckles sympathetically. "I'll take that as a no."
"My father wants me to take over the family business," she admits, cradling her butterbeer in her fingers, watching the flames dance through her fingers and the amber liquid. "But I don't know if that's what I want."
"Well, you have time," the older girl says with a reassuring smile. "Nothing's set in stone for you yet. And no one says you can't have hobbies on the side or anything."
Ryouko hums quietly, staring at the bits of foam dancing atop the butterbeer. "What about you? You're a seventh year, right?"
Dorothea shrugs, rather casual for their conversation topic. "Eh, I dunno. I'd probably go for Curse-Breaking if I had a choice."
"You...don't?" Ryouko asks hesitantly, noting her odd choice of words.
Her teeth gleam as she smiles. "Not really. But I don't mind. This way, the five of us get to stick together." A hint of something bittersweet tinges her smile and her tone as she adds softly, "Family always comes first…"
Ryouko notes that she said 'five', not 'four'. A million questions race through her mind.
"Anyways, it's getting late," Dorothea sighs. She knocks back the rest of her drink and stands up, flashing Ryouko a smile. "I'm going to sleep. I'm gonna have to put up with Fallon tomorrow, so I'll probably need it. 'Night."
"W-wait!" Ryouko yelps.
She pauses at the entrance to the girls' dorm, lifting one dark brow. "Hmm?"
Ryouko desperately wants to know more about them, all of them, but especially the boy with the bright blue eyes. "Um, I was wondering...could you maybe teach me how you fly like that?" she asks hopefully. Any chance to find out more…
Dorothea blinks once. Twice. Then she yawns and says, "Sure. Quidditch pitch, five tomorrow. That work?"
"O-oh!" Surprised at how fast Dorothea agreed, Ryouko can only stammer out, "U-um, sure! That—that sounds great! Thank you!"
Makie and Shino materialize by her side as if by Apparition as soon as Dorothea disappears down the hall, demanding to know what they talked about. They're disappointed when Ryouko reveals that she didn't actually find out much about Yuliy—for some reason, the two of them are now wholeheartedly supporting Ryouko chasing after the strange boy with the bright blue eyes. Although Ryouko doesn't really understand their sudden zeal (it kind of freaks her out a tiny bit), she's glad for their support nonetheless.
Ok, it's headcanon justification/rationalization time again! XD
So, Ryouko's position was pretty easy for me to choose. When she sets her sights on something (read: Yuliy), she goes after it with zero hesitation.
Dorothea could've been Seeker, but Ryouko was definitely Seeker already. I didn't see her as a Beater or a Keeper, so I made her Chaser. That finalized my decision to make Fallon a Keeper, because they're like BFF rivals XD I do see him as more of a 'front-liner' in the way I was talking about in my rationalization for Philip's position, so Fallon could've been Chaser. It would've been fun to make him and Dorothea fight for the Quaffle, in hindsight XD I just made a bit of a stretch from his protectiveness over his friends to an overall status of a guard, or protector, which translates to Keeper.
Willard's a professor, so he obviously doesn't play. He can still fly, like the rest of them. If he did play, I guess I'd put him as Seeker too, because he has a passion for pursuing knowledge like a Seeker chases the Snitch.
Gryffindor vs Slytherin match coming up next! :) I'll explain my reasoning for Yuliy and Philip's positions then, and touch on Ryouko's position a little more.