Open Badly Beaten Bludger

[Leda Layton]

Leda was glad that she had managed to catch the snitch before Simon, proving that once again Slytherin were still the strongest team out there. That being said, she'd still managed to take two bludgers of her own to her body before doing so, one in particular causing the Slytherin a significant amount of pain. On one hand it was a comforting break to the pain that was in her chest, one that she didn't think was ever going to be healed, but the Head Girl also knew that it was better to checked out at the hospital wing, just in case any real damage had actually been done. Of course there had also been another girl that had been sent there, and as she arrived, the seventh year had her eyes peeled for @Minnie Calida. She felt a little bad for the younger girl, remembering how in her third year she'd been knocked out completely. Seeker was always going to be one of the toughest roles to play in a game of Quidditch, but for years that also been the most rewarding one to Leda. Because of Olive. There were so many things Leda had done because of her sister, and taking up the sport in the first place was only because Olive had been the Gryffindor Seeker back when she played at school. Leda couldn't think about that now, forcing her way through the hospital wing doors, hesitant to take a seat in fear that the searing pain at the bottom of her spine would be set off again if she did.​

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie had been left alone, the nurse had shoed away her two......not friends...well certainly not both of them..but she'd sent them away while fixing up Minnie. Minnie opted to not think too much about Eric and why he'd come, it certainly couldn't be because he cared, even a little and she wouldn't admit the same of him. The bruise paste had gotten rid of the worst of the bruised, and her shoulder and arm were bandaged up and in a sling, which she'd be able to take off the next day - the magic had healed it, but she'd been advised to give it a little time to finish healing. The latter, the sling, she was intending to removed the moment she got out of sight of the nurses. The ravenclaw didn't want to waste time, there was a lot that she needed to still do, which certainly included studying, her homework, and reading up for the next lessons. The ravenclaw was certainly not intending to skip over writing to her parents. The girl had finished getting dressed, dressed pretty down, a slightly oversize ravenclaw sweatshirt and some more casual trousers, Emily had done a kind thing by bringing them to her. The Ravenclaw turned as the door swung open and as Minnie looked around, she noticed it was the other seeker. The girl had won the game, she tried her best to direct her frustration at herself at the girl who'd beaten her, but it wasn't the slytherin's fault that she wasn't as good. "Hey," Minnie said despite her own internal warnings to not bother. She didn't get any closer, from a distance the girl might not see her reddened eyes from the crying she'd done. "Beaters are the worse," she commented since it was just the two of them here, and she'd only saw one other player besides them get hit. ​

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda wasn't sure whether it hurt less to pace around the room or to stand still, but at least with the former she could use it as a distract as well. The seventh year looked up when someone said something, hoping it was a nurse, but it had been the Ravenclaw that arrived a short while ago, already fixed up and on her way out. Leda was pleased that Minnie wasn't going to have to spend time in the wing overnight, perhaps she'd at least be able to recover the day with a fun evening. "Hey," she nodded back to her, swallowing nervously. Maybe it was because she could see her former self in the girls shoes that she took an added interest in keeping an eye out for her. "Yeah. Yeah," It would be a tame game at most if there were no beaters in it at all, removing the sense of danger entirely. "You know they're not always that bad. Last year I didn't get hit at all." Leda didn't want the younger girl to be put off by the beaters, they were only doing their job too after all. "You were an alternative? Before now?" she asked, wondering if her previous years had matched her own. Minnie probably had places to be, but the Hogwarts Monthly wasn't the only way Leda could influence people, and even if she was better at writing than she was speaking, if she could influence someone to keep pursuing something they enjoyed despite the risks, then maybe they'd get as much satisfaction from the sport as she had.​

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie felt the smile remain on her features. She didn’t know why she had almost been worried about this girls reaction to her. Leda had won, she been less injured and she head girl. The worry Minnie had perhaps felt in opening conversation was her own frustration. She shrugged a little, the beaters hadn’t been bad in the year before but she also hadn’t caught the snitch either. It would’ve been better if in all those situations she’d been taken out, then her skills wouldn’t be as much in questions by her or her parents. ”I was an alternate the year before,” Minnie said, she gave a little sigh, ”But uhh..I don’t think I’ll continue with quidditch after this season,” Minnie told Leda, she hadn’t voiced this thought to Emily or Eric, she could only imagine the reaction that Eric could give...though things had changed...or had they? Minne felt her eyes well quickly, despite the hits and the failures she did thoroughly enjoy the sport, and convincing her parents of her idea would be hard. The ravenclaw looked away from Leda, wiping her eyes quickly. Thinking of anything else, ”Are you okay?” she asked, ignoring the slight crack in her own voice as she asked about How Leda was, after all, she was surely looking to go celebrate the victory in the slytherin common room soon. Minnie knee that Leda had been hit at least once from when she’d been playing but perhaps it had been hard enough. ”do you want me to fetch the nurse for you?”​

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda nodded to Minnie, it had been the same for her, the pressures of winning for the whole team resting on a third year's shoulders. The Head Girl frowned when she admitted she probably wouldn't continue, and wondered whether her own team knew her intentions. "Why not?" Didn't she enjoy it? Leda knew how tense it could be, but being part of that team was still satisfying, even if Leda had only ever joined in the first place to feel closer to Olive. The Slytherin was still pacing a little as she spoke, and shrugged when the younger girl asked if she was okay. "I will be." She hoped the nurse wouldn't take too much longer to come over, but it wasn't like this place was swarming right now. Sometimes half the team ended up here after a game, and besides Leda hadn't been knocked out so much as just wanted to get checked over. "You should go back to your common room, I bet Josh and Alexis will want to know that you're okay." She added, wondering if Liam had taken their team back to the dungeons.​

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie shrugged in response, she wasn’t sure she should tell Leda, she’d just mentioned that she thought she would likely stand down, but it she didn’t want to answer the question about it. But perhaps Leda might get it, ”I’m not very good,” Minnie responded with a little shrug, she figured she might as well leave it at that. Not bother to add or say much more on the matter, she didn’t want to quit, she wanted to get better, but if she didn’t figure something out, if she didn’t convince her parents then it would be out of her hands, and in that case she would much rather tell people it was her choice, she knew their reactions when she said it was her parents. Leda assure her that she would be okay, and Minnie had to wondered what had happened in the rest of the game. She didn’t want to know really, but now she perhaps did. Minnie looked at Leda and gave a little shrug, ”I have to study, classes don’t stop for quidditch,” was all she started by saying, ”Plus they’re probably more annoyed we didn’t win,” Minnie however stopped lingering where she’d been and approached the door of the hospital wing, clearly intending to walk out soon. ”Will Slytherin be having a little celebration or do you save that for when everythings all been won?” Minnie wasn’t sure why she was sticking around a bit, Leda didn’t need her to talk to, but it felt like she should. ​

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda listened as Minnie gave her answer as to why she didn’t want to play after this year, and the Slytherin thought about it for a second before replying, “Doesn’t that go for anything you want to be good at? You can’t start perfect,” Unless it was Blake of course but that boy seemed to have a very unusual case of extra strong beginners luck. “If you want to play and want to be good, you can’t just give it up,” It had taken Leda a few years to feel like she was even fit for the position. “Right now, everyone’s older than you. Willow, Elliot. But if you stick at it then it’s possible to be even better than we ever were,” Leda shrugged, a little unsure of why she was giving tips to someone on the opposing team, although Leda would be graduating soon so what did she have to lose? “Besides, ending a game in the hospital wing doesn’t make you a bad player. You’re just, taking more shots out for your teammates,” She’d never considered it like that herself before but she didn’t think she was wrong. One game she’d been knocked out and it left Sapphire free to catch the snitch as a player who had her full strength. Leda had never meant to get into quidditch, just trying it because Olive had, and really it was one of the only things she did as a team until she’d joined the school newspaper, and she was proud of her snakes and their spirit to go out onto the pitch as one.
​

The Head Girl smiled when Minnie said Ravenclaw were probably annoyed they didn’t win. “Maybe. But knowing Alexis and Joshua there’s probably very little that would tick them off,” she shrugged. She couldn’t imagine either of her classmates being competitive enough to be irritated or angry with their results. It was a game after all. She didn’t like Alexis personally, Leda thought she tried to meddle where she ought not to be meddling, but hadn’t half the school claimed Leda to do the same thing? It was just perspective. “We do sometimes, but not always. Sometimes the team need the morale boost, other times we wait.” Last year a Slytherin had been on a high for most of the year, especially since they won the house cup and the international. They didn’t really need a kick to the ego. “Classes don’t stop for Quidditch, but it certainly makes them more bearable,” she added, hoping the Ravenclaw wasn’t going to lose an outlet for the sake of homework.​

 

[Tinny]

Tinny had watched the match and had been scared about the blue missy that had been hit by the bladgers. She had made it a point that she would visit the little missy after the match and had spent the rest of it happily cheering on the green team as they matched the banner she had draped herself in. She didn't think any of the students had noticed her and continued to be draped in the Slytherin banner as she grabbed a mug of butterbeer and went up to the hospital wing. Slowly she opened the door "Don't mind Tinny, she is just cleaning" Tinny said as she slowly moved into the hospital wing.

The tiny elf tried to pretend to be cleaning as she got closer to the girls which required her putting down the mug, picking up a random object and tossing it into the nearest bin before grabbing her mug and inching closer to the two girls. "Tinny is so lucky, one of the green players is heres too, Tinny's favorite team ever!" Tinny said into her mug. She didn't actually learn the team names but the banner draped around her matched the one they wore so Tinny must be their biggest fan.

"Tinny thought that was a stupendous match" Tinny said out loud to no one in particular as she once again took a gulp of her butter beer, placed it on a desk and throw a piece of parchment into the trash.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie knew that Leda wouldn’t particularly understand that she wanted to be perfect. She had to be perfect. Her mind knew that she would get better with time, that her catches would improve, that she’d be able to do more to make herself a better player. Minnie knew that Leda was right, and knew that giving up now wasn’t the option she wanted. It wasn’t what she was like, but at the end of the day Minnie had a feeling it might be out of her hands. The vehement way in which Eric had argued for her going against her parent was good in theory, something she wanted to do, but she knew it wouldn’t happen. She knew that she couldn’t be like he was, and not to her parents. Minnie shrugged on shoulder as Leda said they as seekers took more shots. Of course as the pivotal player it made sense, but it didn’t make it easier and it didn’t make trying to win any easier. She had been knocked out of two games now, and she got the feeling she would be so, more and more. Unless she just got better at being a seeker she wouldn’t stop being the one targeted and taken out by the beaters and their bludgers. ​

​

Minnie was sure that the captains would be annoyed, she could just feel that behind the smiles or the well wishes they would be annoyed. SHe was annoyed at herself, why wouldn’t they be. Minnie had figured the slytherin’s would celebrate at every occasion, but it seemed not, ”A good captain knows when to celebrate” perhaps that was more the gryffindors, she could certainly see Noel celebrating a Gryffindor victory at every possible occasion. She didn’t much understand it, but given that Eric and Noel were both in the same house and in her mind so different, she didn’t want to try to understand gryffindor. At the statement Minnie found herself smiling slightly, ”You are very right but the books are calling me, so I should head back,” Minnie replied, the smile lingering on her features. She was a little startled as out of nowhere out popped a house elf, who seemed to be a big fan of Leda. She looked between them, before holding Leda’s gaze for a moment, ”I hope you feel better soon Leda,” the ravenclaw said sincerely before just turning around and walking out of the hospital with a final little glance back. Even if Leda wasn’t too hurt, she’d offer it to her and had really appreciated their little conversation, and the girl wouldn’t be alone with a house elf as entertainment. ​