Forget Quidditch

[Ailsa Vacarius]

The summer months had finally arrived and Ailsa was pleased as anything about this fact. She couldn't believe how long it had taken for these months to finally appear, winter had seemed to last far too long. She loved New Zealand, and she loved the summer months here, the grounds were always the picture of beauty. She liked going home when the winter came and suddenly she was able to enjoy the summer in England, where she was from and where her family were still currently living. Ailsa was loving the summer months. She just loved being able to go outside and not worry too much about the weather getting back. She liked being able to go outside and practice quidditch without getting soaked or freezing. The summer months were just a lot of fun, they were enjoyable for so many reasons, and today with the sun shining down brightly on the grounds of Hogwarts was one of those reasons. The exams were coming, they were right upon her, but Ailsa had never been studious, she got good enough grades without too much effort so that's all she liked doing that and just that. She didn't need to do much else, and so that was why instead of being in her dorm studying, she was walking to the quidditch pitch, but instead of having her broom under her arm, Ailsa had a football (soccer ball) under her arm.

She ditched the few belongings she'd brought with her and just dropped the ball on the pitch and began practicing, there were a few people practicing quidditch in the air, but for once Ailsa didn't want to do that, she wanted to practice her football skills, or really Ailsa was just hoping to have fun with a sport she'd mostly left behind when she'd come to Hogwarts. It was taking a while for her to get back into it. She'd been playing quidditch for most of the time she'd been at Hogwarts and there was little foot work in that sport. She had warmed up, but she was fumbling with the ball, tripping over her own feet. But after a certain point in her stumbling and falling, she seemed to finally get it. Or well, she seemed to have finally found a streak and she was suddenly doing pretty good. Better than she had been moments before. So, Ailsa took the chance to fashion goal posts, using her bag and the jumper she'd brought in case it got cold, setting the up at one side of the quidditch pitch to use as goals. With that, Ailsa continued to play, perhaps some other would take the opportunity of a nice day to come outside and perhaps they might end up joining her.
​

 

[J.T. Hunt]

The weather wasn't really helping with the revision he was supposed to be doing for the upcoming exams. James Thomas was sitting on his bed with crossed legs looking at his history of magic book, trying to concentrate but he was failing miserably. The open window was presenting a wide array of stimuli, both visual and acoustic. A triangle of white light was advancing from it into the quite dormitory and the boy's green-blue eyes were distracted and forced to glance outside at the view of the lake, looking like as flat as a mirror. There was no wind to scatter ripples on the silver-blue waters. There was no movement as far as he could see from the top of that tower, as if someone had cast a wide-range freezing charm. When he did manage to proceed and read a few lines from his book, then it was the little visitors on the gutters at the top of the window that did everything to draw his attention. It was either the sound of their tiny talons against the thin metallic pipes as they were hopping around or their means of communication with their chirping growing persisting and slightly louder. The Gryffindor gave up and closed his book. "Man, screw this!" he muttered to himself and went for his trunk which was brimming with clothes and other belonging piling up disorderly. He did succeeded in finding his broom buried beneath all his stuff. He didn't bother himself by walking all the way to the ground floor to leave the castle. He just mounted his broom and rocketed out of the open window.

The sun beat upon JT's back relentlessly, forcing a sheen of seat to form on his forehead. The wind that rushed on him while flying on the broom was hot and didn't really help in cooling him down. He decided to visit the pitch and see if any people were there. Perhaps he could practice at the part of the pitch where the stand tower's shade was cast on it or even find a cool enough spot to sit down and watch other people playing. He liked that part. Observing was a good way to learn and adopt techniques. JT wanted to play for his house's team a lot but for a Gryffindor he seemed to be unable to muster enough courage and show up at the tryouts. He had to step out of his safety zone and do the things he liked. When he arrived at the pitch he found out that some students were already there practicing. He landed on the well-trimmed grass and he was about to sit on a bench and study the moves performed by the other students when he noticed a girl, a fellow Gryffindor and third year, who was instead playing football. She was kicking the ball around the part of the pitch she had chosen as her practicing boundaries and she was attempting to score between a bag and a sweater replacing the posts and net. JT used to play football back at his neighborhood with his muggle friends. It was a nice change and a reminder of his own muggle nature. "Hey! Might if I join?" he asked as he left his broom behind and walked over to her. "You don't see people around here playing football that often." he commented ready to receive a pass and maybe attempt to score at her improvised goal.

 

[Ailsa Vacarius]

Ailsa didn't get many opportunities to just play football anymore which she definitely thought was a pity, since she really enjoyed the sport. It was different, it felt like flying but in the sense that it was freeing, she preferred football some of the time to quidditch, it was the act of running around, of not relying on some broom for sped but they themselves. She had joined the muggle sports club for exactly that reasoning. She knew that she could play whenever but her hopes in the club had been to actually get to be able to talk about it with others, that she would be able to share it with others, but it really hadn't lived up to her standards. Now, she just found herself playing alone on the quidditch field, smiling happily as she did so, building up a slight sweat which was most apparent in the way her hair was currently sitting. She was practicing her dribbling skills, pleased that she hadn't really lost any of her previous skill. It was comforting to know that she could still be good at something she hadn't practiced in ages. She had been surprised upon starting when she really hadn't lost it, she found it easy, like riding a bike, just getting so easily back into the swing of it.

She was just play alone when she then noticed someone calling at her, asking if he could join her, the boy seemed familiar to Ailsa, she was sure they were in the same year, possibly more the same house. Ailsa nodded at him, and just kicked him the ball. She then ran forward to stand in front of the makeshift goals and attempt to catch the ball as it was kicked in. She grinned at the boy, waiting for him to kick it in, moving slightly trying to guess. It was strange playing football on the quidditch field, she could see people not that far above her, just ignoring them on the ground. She wondered if some of the purebloods in the school even knew what football was, "Come on then," she encouraged him, ready, to catch the ball and then kick it back over to him. Really they needed more players to have a real sort of game, but Ailsa was happy to just be having a little kick about.
​

Again, sorry for the delay and also how terrible this is.

 

[J.T. Hunt]

He received her pass with a smile at the corner of his lips. Memories flooded back from when his magical identity was not known and he was an ordinary child at a suburban neighborhood. Back then his only concern was to find the neighborhood's public pitch free after school so he and the gang could play for hours. These sweet memories were reminisced. JT wasn't wearing the appropriate shoes to play but he started juggling. He kept the ball off the ground using his feet and his head. "It's been a long time." he admitted with a soft smile. "I'm still in shape though." he slightly widened his eyes surprised that he was still able to perform those tricks. He quickly dribbled his way towards the girl, weaving between imaginary opponents and pulling some of my favorite moves. He kicked the ball hard and tried to score. "Do you play often?" he asked while watching her dealing with his attempt. If she had been organizing matches with other students than he sure wanted to be part of it. If he hadn't found he was a wizard, possibly he would have continued playing, pursuing an actual career after school.