Clashing Bludgers

[Lizzie Parker-Taylor]

Lizzie was still walking on air from the Quidditch win yesterday. It had been a rough match, rougher than usual, but Gryffindor had played well, and she was proud to be part of such a strong team. The win felt well deserved. After a nice breakfast with Hayley at the Gryffindor table, Lizzie needed to stretch her legs. She didn't feel quite up to flying after yesterday, her shoulders and biceps aching slightly from all the exertion, but a jog would be good to help clear her mind, work off the excess adrenaline. She made her way towards the doors, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she went.

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette's mood hadn't really improved since the previous day. Even though she had been happy to be made captain of the team, she hadn't been prepated for how much it would make every loss feel like a personal failing. She had picked the team, she had decided who got to play today. So wasn't it also her fault they then lost? It seemed like it to Odette. But it wasn't solely her fault. The Gryffindor beater had been playing a mean game, taunting her and generally trying to distract her. Odette had let herself be dragged along, and her anger at the older girl had clouded her judgement. That wasn't the only reason they lost of course, but it was a part of it. So when she spotted the girl as she crossed the entrance hall, Odette's feet moved as if they had a mind of their own until they stopped in the girl's way. Blocking her path. She knew Lizzie only from Quidditch, though she had also recently learned she was Hayley's girlfriend. None of that mattered now, though. "Hey. Next time, how about relying on talent instead of underhand tactics to win?" She asked the girl, frowning at her. "I guess that's difficult in a team with hardly any talent, though." It had been a long time since Odette had gone out of her way to look for a fight, but she wanted one now. She hoped the girl would retaliate. Maybe a good fight would ease some of the anxiety she had been feeling since the match ended.

 

[Lizzie Parker-Taylor]

Lizzie's cheerful mood was abruptly plunged directly into a bucket of ice when the Slytherin captain stepped in front of her. The girl was clearly furious, and Lizzie didn't know why. She had barely opened her mouth to speak when Odette began berating her, turning Lizzie's worry about whatever might be wrong to fury. "Hey! What the hell do you mean, underhanded tactics?" She snapped, glaring at the younger girl. "We played a clean game, we only win on our own merits. What the hell do you even think we did?" Lizzie's blood was already burning at the accusation of cheating, but it really began to boil at Odette's next comment. "Are you blind?" She snapped. "You saw how we played, you saw how good our team is. Don't be petty just because you lost."

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette put her hands on her hips as she looked up at the older girl. She knew this was a bad idea, even knew what she was saying wasn't entirely fair. But she had pent up frustration from the match that needed an outlet, and today that outlet was Lizzie Taylor. "You know what the hell I mean." She snapped, channeling all the haugthiness into her voice she still possessed. "You were out there playing mind games as if it was your job, intimidating players." She huffed, rolling her eyes. "I won't deny you can play, but I guess the theatrics were needed to cover for that little wimp you have for a partner. It's a wonder he hasn't hit himself in the head yet. Or has he? Maybe that explains why he's so bad." She smirked. "I'm not petty because I lost. I only lost because our seeker was taken out and we didn't have an alternate. I'm just saying you don't need to piss people off to win a game."

 

[Lizzie Parker-Taylor]

Lizzie almost couldn't believe what she was hearing from the Slytherin captain. Odette seemed just to be angry at her for playing the game at all. The accusations felt like nothing though, compared with how furious Lizzie got when Odette switched targets to Jacob. "Shut up!" She snapped, stepping closer to the Slytherin captain and glowering down at her. "Jacob's a second year, and he's a bloody good one! Do you feel real big, picking on a child?" She narrowed her eyes slightly, struggling to restrain her anger. Jacob was already much better than she had been when she joined the team in her own second year, and even if he had been terrible, the unfairness of Odette attacking a literal child in such a cruel way set Lizzie's temper burning. "And don't accuse me of things when you're just mad I played the game well." Lizzie snapped. "If you don't know the difference between cheating and tactics it's no wonder you lost. It's our job to be intimidating. Take a look at yourself before you pick fights you can't win." She snapped, glaring down at the Slytherin. It was difficult to keep her temper in check, hands having unconsciously curled into fists, but Lizzie didn't want this to turn into a full fight. She did her best to keep her aggression on the pitch.

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette had to fight the urge to smile as Lizzie took her bait. Adrenaline coursed through her and she wondered for a moment why she had stopped doing this. It was so gratifying to see how her words affected people, how she could make them as angry as she was feeling herself with a few well chosen words. Odette stayed where she was, refusing to let the older girl intimidate her into taking a step back. "Sapphire is a second year too, but she managed to hit bludgers." She said calmly, a smirk on her face. "And I'm not picking on him. You won't see me going over to him and telling him directly that he sucks." She rolled her eyes dramatically, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder. "Besides, it's really rich coming from the girl who single-handedly put Leda in the hospital wing. Isn't she also a child by that logic? She's not that much older. You weren't just doing your job, you were trying your best to scare her." She smiled sweetly. "I guess you can say it's our job to be intimidating, but I personally think it's our job to hit bludgers strategically. I suppose that's the difference between someone with brains and someone that relies on nothing but muscles." She narrowed her eyes at her. "I bet you anything your team is going to lose horribly in the next game. I'll be watching. And next year, I'm beating you at your own game. You're not getting that cup before you graduate." She glanced at the girl's clenched fist and let her mouth quirk up slightly. "I guess it's your job to be intimidating off the pitch too?" She asked idly. Her own anger had taken a backseat now that she saw the effect she'd had on Lizzie. That had been the goal all along. If she could hurt other people, it was easier to forget about her own feelings. Now that she had the upper hand, she felt confident. She knew it was a little silly to insult the team when her own team had placed lower than them, but it wasn't going to stop her. Next year would be her year, and then Lizzie would see she was a force to be reckoned with.