Following Quidditch

[Ares Jeffreys]

The day following the quidditch match found Ares still going over what had happened in the game. He had not properly prepared his team for the game, they had lost a seeker, and had April not caught the snitch a beater too. He had not done well in his scoring, the other chasers hadn't done well in their scoring, the new keeper had let through three quaffles. It was not how he imagined his first game as captain would go. It was not how it had played out in his head between the hours he had spent worrying about it. He had seen it not go amazingly, but then what had actually had happened had been one snitch catch away from being the worst scenario. He knew it was hard to be captain, but Rueben had clearly been better at it. Perhaps having to worry about being a captain stopped or limited his ability to play, to his concentration away from just scoring goals and spread it more thinly amongst all the other things he had to do. Maybe he wasn't cut out for it. All his pride towards getting the position felt gone, like it didn't matter any more because he wished that he wasn't. He wasn't good at it, clearly.

It affirmed in Ares' head that he was good at quidditch and relatively good at school if he applied himself but he was not good in any position the school could give him. he had avoided most of hufflepuff house, just offering his congrats to the seeker and seeing how Anthony was, but there was no desire for a celebration of any sorts for him. He didn't think it would be right to celebrate a poor victory. Instead in the morning, as most were sitting for breakfast Ares found himself at Avie's rock. Not a place he would go, having not really known the boy at all, but thinking it would be a good place for quiet reflection. He needed to think about it, he needed to figure out what went wrong, what needed to change, but most of all he knew he just needed to sit and think about what happened, and think very hard about if he wanted to continue being captain, if he thought he was capable of it.
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[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

It had been a while since the second year had been outside and active this early in the morning. She'd slipped out the common room while her dorm mates were sleeping, and headed out towards the grounds dressed in her running attire. A few moments later, she was sprinting around the edge of the castle, enjoying the fresh air and the solitude with it. A year had already passed since she'd moved to New Zealand, and so much of her old life had been left behind. It had taken months to come to terms with, but Geo considered that while she may be in a better place for her future to blossom, she continued to feel the stab of guilt at the thought of losing contact with those with whom she was once closest.

Twenty minutes passed with solid jogging, before Geo chose to rest. She stood, looking out across the lake, hands on her hips and closing her eyes for a moment, allowing the sun to beam down across her face as she got her breath back. The calming environment let her reflect on what she was grateful for, and despite one of her friends, including Remy Lagowski, having left the school at the end of the previous year, she was glad she had a number of other she could depend on for support.

Her eyes opened once again, adjusting quickly to the bright light of the sun. It was only then did she spot another student, sat near a rock alongside the Lake. Perhaps like her, they enjoyed their own company on occasion, however on further observation she realised it was a member of the quidditch team. Aron, Adam, something like that. She'd seen him in action multiple times, as she never missed a game, but she'd never spoken to him. Hufflepuff hadn't done so well recently, and while she'd been tempted to visit Anthony, Geo wasn't convinced she'd be welcome given their last encounter. One step in front of the other, she gingerly made her way across the grass towards the boy. "Are you okay?" She called out as she stood a few feet behind him, unsure as to whether to proceed. Geo had learnt the hard way last year that having too much energy and running face first into situations often left one feeling bruised, and had decided that this year would be taken in caution.

 

[Ares Jeffreys]

Ares glanced away from where his gaze had been set when a girl asked if he was okay. He looked around and spotted the girl, younger than him with wild pink hair, definitely a hufflepuff but not one he knew well. The boy nodded hastily in answer to the question, "Yeah, course," he replied, "Why wouldn't I be? We won the game," Ares had no idea if this girl was asking about the game, but his mind so focused on that it that it was the only thing he could think to say. Ares was okay, he felt a little pensive, he needed the space to think, he wanted the time to go over it, but there was a nagging in his mind that he wasn't cut out for it. They won sure, but he knew that he'd played wrong, that they hadn't played as well as a team as slytherin had. It was his fault. The failures were on him, and the victories despite of him. He loved quidditch a lot, but maybe this was too much for him.

"Little early to go running?" Ares said, noting the clothes that she was wearing, knowing exactly what they were about. He had his own running clothes, usually just for pre-quidditch warm up, but it was early, most were at breakfast and he was looking for any occasion to maybe take his mind off what had happened. To maybe try to think of something else, and this younger hufflepuff was providing just that for him. He didn't particularly want to know about it, and any other occasion he would've been happier with his imagination and his own thoughts but maybe not today, "I'm Ares," he introduced thinking it would probably be polite to introduce himself to this girl.
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[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo was taken slightly aback when the boy answered so quickly, perhaps she'd misinterpreted him looking so thoughtful, and he was just waiting for someone. On the other hand, the impromtu comment regarding Quidditch gave a different view. She gave a small smile at the response, "You won the game" she corrected, trying not to focus too hard on how she'd been completely absent this year from her first opportunity at the tryouts.

"Early, but I think you'd agree it's the most peaceful time of day." She said, walking the remaining steps between them to sit and rest for a few minutes on the grass. Until I ruined it, she thought. Geo still wasn't convinced the boy wanted company, but her legs were aching and she would be on her way soon enough. Elbows resting on her knees, she looked out across the lake, even with a gentle breeze the water looked so calm, and it was no wonder that it was a favourite for contemplation. "Running so early, while everyone else is asleep, you see things the others miss" She added. None of her own friends had any interest in the sport, but the words were out of her mouth to the stranger before she could stop them, taking a small advantage of someone who asked.

She turned her head as he introduced herself, giving another small smile, "Geo" . She pondered on whether to press the Quidditch issue. It was clearly on his mind given it's what he assumed she had questioned. Her high pony tail rested on her back as she looked out across the water once more, the air pricking the back of her neck as she began to cool down. "Have you spoken to Anthony?" She asked, hoping it was close enough to a subject he wanted to talk about, without delving too deep.

 

[Ares Jeffreys]

The teen shrugged, he had won the game, well, April had won the game for them, but they had won, and that was something but he didn’t feel right about it. He knew he could’ve done better, he felt like he should’ve but he knew he hadn’t. The game had been won, and very little thanks should be attributed to him. He was glad that she decided to continue, explaining to him why she ran so early and creating just something else he could think about, ”It is very peaceful, though I doubt this place specifically would ever really get huge amounts of laughter,” the boy looked at the girl was right, being up and about so early was peaceful, and it was something few others would really see. He could understand in a way why she might. After all, he did sometimes venture outside early for some quidditch practice. Not often, but given that performance maybe he needed to do a little more. Build up his skill, build up his team’s skill. Help them learn how to play better as a team, for him to learn how to be better as a captain, ”Nice to meet you Geo,” he replied as then asked about Anthony, ”Yeah, I went to see him after the game, when he felt a little better, he’s still one of the best seekers our team has had,” the boy said to Geo, ”He’ll continue to get better at it I’m sure,” Ares admitted, after all, he was a good player, and had excelled under the last captain, maybe it was his fault, ”He’ll be just fine, as with all the other players that were hit by bludgers,” Ares said, ”Ever thought about playing? Unless all those bludgers have put you off,”
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[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

As Ares spoke of Anthony, she nodded in agreement. It was true, the seeker was one of the best they'd ever have, although she did feel guilty admitting that to most people considering April was her roommate. She wouldn't like to think what that amount of energy could do if it was fuelled with anguish. Before she'd joined Hogwarts, she had always imagined herself one day playing the seeker position in her house team, but after seeing Anthony and April, she knew there was no chance. "Chaser would be fun" She smiled. To feel the wind in your hair on the ground was one thing, but to be in the air and be part of the sky was something completely different. She was about to tell the Captain of her Quidditch practise, but decided against it considering she was helping Ravenclaw keeper improve in doing so.

Bludgers weren't really a concern to the Hufflepuff, then again she'd never had one smack into her body. She figured it would be worth it though. She did have a competitive streak, and to be part of a team in the air would be payment itself for a few hits. "How are you finding the team.. I mean, after Reuben" she trailed off, knowing he'd understand what she meant. She'd only spoken to the boy once, but she had been close friends with Reubens younger brother, and the families decision to pack up and move country had unsettled many throughout the school.

 

[Ares Jeffreys]

Ares looked at the girl as she replied chaser, that was the most fun position, one that quite possible would be the least dangerous, depending on how the beaters felt. Largely he focused on sending the ball into the hoops and catching it. "Being a chaser is good fun!" he said to her, with a small smile on his lips as he thought of the position he had so often played. The one he'd always been best at which was why he was that position. The boy shrugged at her, "It's a good team," after all, they were a good team, the chasers were good, the beaters did a lot of work, the keeper had done well. Everyone had done well, they were good people, good players. He was happy for every one of them that was on the team, but he was the weak one, good at playing, not good at managing. He was a good chaser but not a good captain, "I do miss Reuben, we were never friends, but god, he was so much better at being a captain," the boy laughed lightly, he was sure that if he hadn't been captain, things might've been better, the game might've gone better than it had. However, there was no use dwelling upon it, it was over, he just had to look forward. Ares had to move on, he had to move on to the next game, "But, there's no sense just thinking about that, it's better to move forward. Look to the next game against gryffindor, if we can win that one, with hopefully less of mess as this, we're half way to winning the cup again,"
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