Oak Trees

Before the Game

The room was silent except for the storm carrying on outside... 

—

The next morning, there was banging on the dormitory door before the morning sun even rose.

"Male entering the dormitory! All decent?!"

Riley rose to this call rather quickly. She learned last year that if she didn't, the whole room of girls would be seething at her for the rest of the weekend.

In her twisted up pajamas, pulling on her robe she went to the door.

"I'm up, Watts, I'm up." She grumbled, opening it slightly

Jackson Watts was leaning against the door frame, already in his practice uniform. "I want you on the field in 20 minutes with your hair out of your face."

Riley simply grunted in acknowledgement and shut the door to begin getting dressed.

Bleary eyed, with her broomstick in hand, she made her way down to the field in 15 minutes.

Jackson watts was standing, pacing, wide awake. Everyone else was sitting and grumbling, leaned back on the bleachers. They would normally be sat on the grass, but the ground was so mucky from last nights torrent of rain.

The dark sky was starless, covered by thick clouds that even muted the sunrise that she thought should be happening. Riley just then looked at her watch.

"4:45?" She groaned, flinging her head back. "You drug us all out here at before 5? Are you mental?"

"No, we drug you out here before 5. Decided it in the boys dormitory before we went to bed." Jackson said, with a face of being rather proud of the idea.

"Uhg. I regret it now. Can I take my vote back? I wanna go back to bed." Elroy grumbled, laying his head over onto Charles shoulder.

"Excuse me?" Riley asked, a little more awake now. "What is this mess?"

"Well, I guess it's for you and Da-David." Charles said, interrupted by a yawn. "You both have been doing good, but we are gonna try something different this morning."

"I tried to tell them no." David grumbled. "They wouldn't listen."

"Alright then everyone, to your feet, to your feet - goggles on, that's right-" Jackson was motioning everyone up and onto the grass.

Everyone raised into the air, except for Jackson, who was straddling his broomstick and fidgeting with the box of Quidditch balls.  Once they were all free, he rose with a bludger.

Riley watched in shock as he beat it directly towards her.

"What has gotten you, Watts?" She hissed as she narrowly dodged it.

"Just get the snitch, Culver!" Elroy said from behind her as his club collided with the bludger, knocking it right back to her.

She ducked and dropped 5 meters, zooming away from the two boys as they chased her feverishly.

It was as if they were playing a cursed game of tennis with the two bludgers, right over Riley's head, closing in on her.

She caught sight of the snitch, 30 feet directly above her. She turned sharply as Watts and Lock closed in, forcing them to crash into eachother. She shot up and, nearly coming off her broom in the process, caught the small winged ball.

She went back to the ground to meet lock and watts, still writhing.

Adding insult to injury, she smacked both of them in the belly with the bunches on the end of her broom.

"You twits! What was the meaning of that! You could've killed someone!" Her face was red with anger, though she was heavily shadowed by the stadium lights behind her.

"That's a slytherin play that they use a lot!" Jackson was rolling on the ground, clutching his head and now his stomach.

"And you handled it like a champ!" Elroy grinned up at her, though pained. "I told you that we didn't need to worry, Jack. Also, you have a big head."

"I have a big head? Oh you bugger-"

They hopped on their broomsticks, followed by Riley. Much less shaken up, she rode into the air with them.

On the other side of the field by the goal posts, David was getting beaten half to death by Charles, Mason, and Daniel. Every time he turned around they were making a score.

He got frustrated and, right as Daniel went to make another score, he crashed into him nearly knocking him out of the air.

"That's right!" Charles called. "Stop em! Any means short of pulling the wand!"

David's face lit up to the praise, and he started really fighting them. A newfound confidence, as he swooped around the rings. From that point on, not a single goal was scored past him.

At a quarter to 8, they finally touched down on the grass. The sun was risen now, and the clouds were beginning to part.

"Right team, let's all go get cleaned up, a big breakfast then get our game faces on. Locker room at 10 from broom inspection and normal team pep talk!"

Jackson clapped his hands and they all dispersed. Riley went in a different direction, though.