Evening Practices

[Noemie Snow]

Noemie hadn't thought she'd been a good chaser in the last season. She had tried her best but she'd not gotten much luck with it. Now, perhaps she might. The girl had decided to dedicate a little more time in every week to this given sport. She was doing just that, they'd been back at school a day and she was already on the pitch. The girl had been surprised with her brother's placement at sorting but nonetheless she was sure he'd do well. He'd make a competition of doing better than she'd done, but she felt safe in all she'd achieved during school so far, in the monthly, in her classes and in quidditch. She just needed to get better at scoring, she could fly well, she could catch, but scoring, one of the principle points of her position was not something she was good at. Noemie knew she could do it, she just needed to prove it or else she wasn't going to be able to keep her position on the team.

The part-veela started as she always did, with some simple warm ups she usually did before going for a run. She had multiple quaffles and had her broom at her side. Once she felt ready, Noemie grabbed the broom, one of the quaffles and flew up into the air. She positioned herself at an acceptable position and threw the ball. She knew that playing quidditch and throwing a ball into a non-guarded hoop were different things but in her mind she just needed to get better at the simple act of throwing the ball and scoring. She used her wand to summon the ball back to her as she repeated and repeated scoring. Eventually she began moving, going into different positions, trying her best to score. She felt confident enough that Noemie considered beginning to be moving as she attempted to score. The part-veela sat back on her broom and just looked out, she could see it getting nearer to curfew but she just stared at the castle for a while. This would be better if she had someone else to help her, but considering try-outs hadn't happened yet she didn't have anyone to practice with.
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[Hayden Lavish]

Hayden had been on the fence for a long time when it came to Quidditch but with openings on the Slytherin team at the beginning of the new year he had decided to finally take the plunge and would be trying out. He hadn't told Odette yet because he wasn't sure how she would react to him encroaching on her territory. Though Hayden knew he would have to tell her before he showed up at the tryouts, he doubted she would react well to that kind of surprise. He had only been back at school a day before he decided to head down to the Quidditch pitch with his new broom to get in some practice before the tryouts. Having not flown for a while, Hayden was eager to make sure he was at his best so he didn't look stupid on the day.

With it being so early in the semester Hayden didn't expect anyone else to have had the same idea as him. That didn't appear to be the case. There was already a girl at the Quidditch pitch when he arrived. He recognised her as being in his year and a member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She was no doubt wanted to practice herself before the new season started. Hayden climbed onto his broom and slowly rose into the air and made his way over to the girl. "Look at the bright side, you can't be any worse than you were last year," He smirked. Ravenclaws season had been poor the previous year and with their captain having graduated, surely they would only get worse.

 

[Noemie Snow]

Noemie glanced at the boy who joined her on the pitch, she knew him from her classes, they were in the same year, but that was the only way she knew him. The girl had never spoken to him nor did she particularly want to now. However, he spoke first. She glared at him, of course she agreed with him, she couldn't be worse but she didn't need some random boy telling her that, even more so when she knew from playing that he wasn't on any team. However, Noemie bit down the anger, not wanting to start anything when she was trying her best to get better, "That's true, that's why I'm here practicing," the girl admitted with a shrug and a slight look of sadness upon her features. She wanted to get better but she didn't think she was, the truth of his statement definitely seemed to indicate that. She couldn't get any worse, but was she even getting any better. The part-veela sighed a little before looking at him, "Do you play quidditch?" she asked. Of course trying to keep the conversation light, but also in a way trying to ask how much he could possibly know if he didn't actually play.

Noemie had been flying since she got to Hogwarts but only last year had she joined the team, and getting a place straight away had been a surprise to her. It wasn't like she had expected that though of course it had been entirely possible. The fact they hadn't played well she blamed herself for, but she knew logically it was a combination of factors, not that they were all bad (aside from her) but that the other teams were simply better. Noemie wondered if perhaps the boy even if he wasn't a ravenclaw would even want to practice with her, she needed someone else to help her practice but he wasn't who she had in mind, but there were no other options for her, "Do you want to help me get better?" the girl asked hedging her bets and just trying before ignoring the boy and returning to trying her best to improve.
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[Hayden Lavish]

Hayden shook his head at the girls question, "No I don't, at least not yet. I'll be trying out this year though," It was a decision Hayden had made recently but he was excited about it and he was confident about his chances. He eyed the girl wondering what she would be thinking at his response, no doubt thinking what could he know since he didn't play. He didn't need to be a player to know that Ravenclaw had been terrible the previous year, he had eyes and that was all needed. "Before you say it, I don't need to play to know you guys sucked, I watched your games, its pretty clear to see," Hayden rolled his eyes.

He had to admit he was intrigued by the girl asking if he would help make her better. Practicing with someone else would be better preparation than just doing laps. "Sure, I'll be keeper," Hayden smiled at her, his attitude softening a little and made his way over to the hoops.

 

[Noemie Snow]

The girl nodded at what he said, trying out this year wasn’t a bad thing, the slytherin team had lost a few players, so he had a chance, ”You probably have a good chance, since you seem to think you are better than others,” the teen told him, both hinting that he didn’t really know anything, while admitting that he probably was good enough to make it on to the team, ”And it my first year on the team, playing during a practice and during a game are two entirely different things,” she wasn’t trying to make him feel bad really, just that it was a reality of the game, that playing in a practice or try-out was different from an actual game. She was however quite encouraged when he accepted helping her out. She allowed him to fly to the hoops, before position herself to face him, the ball still in hand. She approached at a steady pace, not going too fast but certainly fast enough to the launch the ball towards one of the hoops hoping to get the ball past him, but noted that despite her earlier sped she had slowed down and the ball wasn’t as thrown as hard to ensure it sailed past the boy. Instead she watched as he caught it, ”Damn it,” Noemie said loudly but nodding, she would go again.
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[Hayden Lavish]

Hayden listened as the girl took subtle digs at him and his abilities but he paid little attention to them. He knew how good he was and he knew he had a good chance at making the team, regardless of what she said. Instead he just nodded to her as he took his position in front of the hoops. The girl should really watch what she was saying, he was doing her a favour after all and the way she was talking to him wasn't how you repaid a favour. "Ready when you are," He mumbled just loud enough for her to hear. Once she set off and after a few minutes of watching her it was clear that she wasn't going to pick up enough speed to really have any chance of scoring past him, of course if he told her as much she would just imply he didn't know what he was talking about. So instead he prepared himself for what be a slow oncoming Quaffle. Hayden swayed slightly on his broom and once the Quaffle left her hands he watched to see where it was going and by the looks of it he wouldn't have to move as it was heading straight for the middle hoop. Hayden remained in his spot and easily caught the Quaffle. "I'm so lucky to be training with a Quidditch expert," Hayden mocked and threw the Quaffle back to her.