Checking Out the Competition ((Mary & Wynd))

[Dylan Caoimhe]

Dylan, Mary, and Wynd took their seats in the Slytherin stands, Dylan careful to make sure Mary was in between he and Wynd. He no longer disliked Wynd, but he still wasn't too comfortable around him, or at least not yet. They were teammates now, so he figured he should at least try and get acquainted with him somehow. Besides, they weren't here to hang out really. They just wanted to check out the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams, to see if they had any new tricks, or how much they had indeed improved since last year. Of course, neither Dylan or Wynd was on the Slytherin Quidditch team last year, but Mary was. So she could definantly spot and point out things that Dylan and Wynd couldn't. But, Dylan still attended matches and observed closely, and he could tell both teams had definantly stepped their game up significantly.

Both teams seemed to have sharpened their defense. Bryce Alexander and Ashley Hill, the Hufflepuff Beaters, were definantly playing with a lot more aggression. Well, Bryce was anyway. Zara Phoenix and Lenora Byers, Gryffindor Chasers, also seemed to improve on their flying and Quaffle handling. Hufflepuff had a new chaser. A red head girl Dylan didn't recognize, but she was pretty decent. After a few more minutes, Dylan raised his eyebrows in surprise as Harmony Chan, Hufflepuff Chaser, scored the first goal of the game. Dylan turned to look at both Mary and Wynd. "Hufflepuff's seemed to have gotten a little better huh? Emphasis on little, by the way."

While the Hufflepuff's did seem like they practiced hard, and they were obviously pleased to have scored the first goal, they still seemed to be oddly flustered. Well, it is a busy game, Dylan thought. One person who stood out was Bryce. He noticed it last year, but he just noticed it again today. Dylan new Bryce was a bit too critical of his performances when he played Quidditch. If he'd mess up, he would get flustered. He wasn't doing to bad today, but Ivy Tunstall, Hufflepuff Chaser and Captain, kept making substitutions. He supposed that's what was throwing everyone off. Dylan made a mental note to tell Kennedy. Of course he would probably have to wait until Hufflepuff played again, to make sure that this was something Ivy intended to do all season. "Why do you guys think Ivy keeps alternating players like that?"

[Mary Evans]

The sun was shinning but the wind was chill and Mary pulled her winter cloak tighter around her shoulders. Mary had completely bundled up before coming out that day in her winter cloak and Slytherin scarf and all. She had even brought out some steaming hot chocolate; so warm she could feel the cup’s heat through her thick gloves. Mary certainly wasn’t much a fan of cold but of course quidditch was worth it. Playing quidditch would be even more worth it as it was fun and you were moving so much and concentrating so hard the cold didn’t really ever seem to touch you. But even sitting there getting more chill by the minute was worth it to watch quidditch and anticipate when it would be her turn up there in the sky.

Mary watched the beaters with real interest and saw they would all be difficult to handle. They were all so busy. There were bludgers flying this way and that – sometimes so fast that it almost seemed as though there was more than two out there. Seeing as Mary had been beater since her third year when she joined the team she had no problems following the progress of the bludgers but it was making it difficult to concentrate on the rest of the game and Mary knew when she was playing these teams she would hardly know what the chasers were doing at all because these beaters would keep her so busy.

However, it would have been impossible for Mary to miss the first goal of the game, a Hufflepuff chaser got the quaffle easily passed Cassandra. ‘Oh Cass’ Mary thought with rue. Not that she wanted Gryffindor to win or even that she liked Cassandra… in fact she really didn’t like Cassandra. She had never liked Cassandra. The girl just wasn’t good enough and certainly not as good as she thought. Mary always pitied the girl. Well, that was a lie. Mary loathed the girl until she grew up and realised that she was just such a shame.

Through her contemplations on her past with Cassandra Mary heard Dylan mention that Hufflepuff had gotten a little better. “Oh no, I quite disagree. They have gotten much better” Mary said with a sarcastic grin at the boy. “Because you see, when you’re down so low as Hufflepuff then any improvement is huge. I think it’s amazing they manage to stay on their brooms at all.”

Of course that wasn’t true; Hufflepuff were actually a very strong team this year and had always been fairly formidable but they were just so pathetically easy to make fun of. Muggle lovers, the lot of them, it was surprising they chose to play a wizards game. They certainly were not worthy. If it was up to Mary the whole house of them, in fact the Gryffindors too, would all be shipped off to muggle schools to live with the filth they so admired. Except Charlie. Charlie could stay.

“Isn’t it obvious? She keeps switching them because she thinks if she moves mediocre players around constantly it will confuse the Gryffindors so much they won’t know which way is up. Who would expect Hufflepuffs to be so cunning you see, and Gryffindors are quite well known to be dim witted, easily confused, and constantly deceived by those who pretend to have good intentions.”

[Wynd Lehane]

Today was the first Quidditch game of the season. Usually Wynd went with Ruby but he suspected that Ruby would watch the game with Valmer. The two dating was still something that was hard to swallow but Wynd would learn to accept it. He had promised both Ruby and Valmer that he would be good from now on. He had to earn back Valmer's trust. It would do his sister no good to have a boyfriend that did not trust her one and only brother. Of course, Wynd had been there first. He had always been there and he would be there even after Valmer left her. Wynd would always sigh whenever he started thinking like that. That way of thinking was so cynical. Did he really want to be known for thinking like that? Maybe Valmer would actually be a positive influence on Ruby. Maybe, just maybe, he would make her happy. Truly happy. She deserved to be happy. But because of Valmer, Wynd couldn't watch today's game with his twin sister. So he was grateful when Dylan invited him to watch the game with him and Mary.

Mary and Dylan both were teammates of Wynd now. He would have to learn to like them. This was an opportunity to interact with them and get to know them. Yeah whatever, he just didn't want to be alone watching the game. Dylan, Mary, and Wynd took seats in the Slytherin stands. Dylan seemed to want Mary between the two boys. Wynd rolled his eyes when Dylan took his seat on the other side of Mary. It was true, the two of them did have a little run in once upon a time, but it was no big deal. It was well known to the fifth year Slytherin boys that Dylan liked to go out late at night. It didn't bother Wynd much until this year when he had been made a prefect. Then he had to be a little more responsible. But if Dylan didn't want to sit next to him, that was fine. Wynd was sure Mary would make fine conversation.

Dylan made some comment that was lost to the wind as far as Wynd was concerned but Mary seemed to hear it. Her retort throughly amused him. Wynd could pick up on his sarcasm and he loved it. This girl could bite. Wynd smiled at her response. It did seem like the Hufflepuffs were playing much better than the Gyrffindors but that wasn't hard to do. Dylan said something again that Wynd could not hear over the crowd but again Mary seemed to hear him and know exactly what to say. His smile grew into a grin until he could not bear it anymore and chuckled aloud. Her sarcasm was exactly what he needed to hear to lighten his mood.

[Dylan Caoimhe]

Dylan laughed at Mary's answers to his questions. This was why he loved hanging out with her. She was right. Any improvement was a big improvement for Hufflepuff. But, Dylan still couldn't help but be somewhat impressed by how much better both teams were playing. This was Dylan's first year on his House Quidditch team, and to tell the truth, he was slightly nervous. Watching and playing were two very different things. Watching, you could look at everything and freely go, "Oh, I could've did that better!" Or, "Wow they're stupid." But once he joined the team and found out about how much concentration and coordination it takes to play Quidditch and how a lot is done spare of the moment, he began to have a new respect for the game and players, in all Houses. Of course, some more than others. This particular game was fast paced. So, how would Slytherin's first game be?

It didn't matter. Slytherin would of course do well. With that last thought, Dylan began thinking about his teammates. Looking over, he saw Wynd freely laughing himself. It was loud, so Dylan doubted he heard him, so he must've heard Mary. He appeared to be in better mood than he was earlier when they were coming out here. Might as well, he thought. Dylan leaned in a little over Mary's lap so that both could hear him. "Do you guys think we have a good line up this year on the team?" Dylan definantly had people that thoroughly annoyed him, one of whom was sitting near them, but he opted not to address it, and focused back on the match.

A lot in this match seemed to be all over the place, and out of control. The passing of the Quaffle, the Bludgers, the constant switching of players. There was entirely too much going on. Dylan frowned. Leaning back over Mary's lap Dylan asked, "You think our first game is going to be all over like this? None of them look like they know what they're doing."

[Mary Evans]

The beaters really seemed to be coming down on each other now. Cass had taken out Arywiel and put some little girl in, and she didn’t seem to be doing much. But Branden seemed to be flinging bludgers at Ashley and Bryce, keeping them too busy to hit them back. A good strategy, one she had used herself in the past; keep your team safe by keeping the other beaters busy. The chasers seemed to be having some issues stealing, though. Apparently it was harder than it looked. Mary didn’t really bother, she would just send a bludger at the person, get them to drop the quaffle real quick.

Funny enough, Mary probably could have been a good chaser. She was almost going to be seeker this year too. She wouldn’t have liked them near as much. She was a beater plain and simple. She may not be built like one, but she thought like one, and could strategize better than most, she knew. Mary had learned over the past few years exactly where the bludger needed to go and how to get it there.

Suddenly Mary was aware that Dylan was leaning over her, so Wynd could hear too presumably, and asking about their current line-up. “Oh, I don’t know. I suppose you guys would know better than I as most the team seems to be in your year. I think we can pull it together pretty well, though. So long as drama within the team doesn’t pull it all apart. Now I am not saying Kennedy was right to blindfold us and try and get us to trust each other like that. But he’s right that there is some aspect of team spirit important in this game and I know not everyone would be happy with Kennedy taking over the team.

“You know, Pyro and I auditioned together, eh? He made the starting line-up and I made the reserve team. And yet I still have played every game since I joined the team. Of course, I have respect for Kennedy too. The boy can hold his own when you put pressure on him. Our team have always managed to do well, though. I mean think what we are up against, book worms, muggle lovers, and… Gryffindors” Mary could think of nothing more insulting to call them – their own name and all it entailed was the worst anyone could call another as far as she was concerned.

Dylan then questioned if their game would be like this one, he said they didn’t appear to know what they were doing. To this Mary had to think a moment, wondering if Dylan was just saying this to be mean, in which case she would agree, or if he really thought they did.

“Oh yes,” Mary finally settled on saying, “I think our game will be quite like this one, just as busy I am sure. Watch the beaters, you can see how they pick their targets based on who they think most likely to get the quaffle next, or most likely to get in their way. And the chasers, they know too who their real threats are. They try to avoid confrontations with them by trying to play keep away with the quaffle. I know just watching it seems as though things are all over the place but if you really watch just one position or better just one person at a time you notice their little tricks and whom they target most. That’s how you pick out the strongest players, the ones you and I will have to take out when we play them.”

[Wynd Lehane]

Wynd could finally hear Dylan when he leaned over Mary to speak to both of them. While Wynd did think this was a breach of her personal space, he did appreciate Dylan coming closer so that Wynd could hear him. The game that they were watching was being dominated by the Hufflepuffs. Especially one girl who had made two of the three scores of the game. It was amazing that such a small girl could do so much damage to the opposing team. Although, her small stature probably gave her some advantage of speed over the 'bulkier' players. Just because Hufflepuff had scored three times however, didn't mean they were going to win. The Gryffindors could spot the Snitch and catch it before the Hufflepuff Seeker even knew what was going on. If that was the case, Gryffindor would win.

"I think it's humorous that a lot of our team consists of our room," Wynd said in response to Mary's comment. He had also leaned in so that both of his comrades could hear him. "I mean, Dylan and I get along for the most part. Unless of course, he sneaks off in the middle of the night," he said with a small smile. "Valmer gets along with most everyone except for me but that's because he's dating my sister. Samaal and I well... he has an attitude. He thought last practice was a complete joke. While I admit it was not the best time, it was a good team building exercise. Then there's Olivia. She's thinks she is Merlin's gift to the rest of the world and she wears those tight pants and leather jackets and smokes because she thinks it's cool. Oh sorry. Went off on a rant there. I think our team will get along for the most part."

"I'm excited for such a wild game as this one." He turned his attention back to the game. He was going to follow Mary's suggestion and pick a player to follow. The problem was picking a player to follow. Wynd's pride would not allow him to follow a Gryffindor and yet he was also too proud to pick a Hufflepuff. It was well know that Gryffindor and Slytherin were sworn enemies and Hufflepuff was the most worthless house. He finally picked Harmony because she had scored twice now and so demanded the most respect. Wynd could dislike her as a Hufflepuff and even as a witch but he would respect her as a Quidditch player.

[Dylan Caoimhe]

Dylan raised himself so that he was sitting straight up in his seat again. He supposed he too should be excited for as busy a game as this. He followed Mary's suggestion and chose Branden Davis, Gryffindor Beater, to focus on. He was a pretty decent Beater. That was the position Dylan played, so why not observe him, learn some of his moves. He made a mental note to ask Mary if they could have a private practice sometime so she could show him a few of her moves. The game went on, and it didn't even take an old fraud like Trelawney to predict that Gryffindor won, not because they scored more goals, but as always, their seeker, which happened to be Scott Ryder, had caught the Snitch.

''There's a surprise ending,'' he said to Mary and Wynd, but doubted they heard him over the loud jeering and cheering of the Gryffindors. They were so pathetic. But Dylan refrained from bashing them, no matter how strong his urge was. He wasn't your typical Slytherin in that sense. He didn't hate Gryffindors, or any other House for that matter. He just simply didn't care. People were who they were. They acted how they acted.

Dylan leaned back in his seat, folded his arms, and bit his numb bottom lip. He made a mental note that if, and when they played Gryffindor, keep an eye on, and aim for Scott whenever possible. After all, that was how Gryffindor won all their games right? It was their Seeker. All their Seeker. Take out their Seeker, drastically lower their chances of winning. Plain and simple.

As far as Hufflepuff was concerned, Dylan really didn't pay too much attention to them, but their Chasers were decent. But he decided that the best thing for them to do would probably be just be to wing it. However, taking out players for them could be a good strategy. Ivy switched them up so much trying to confuse people. Take that option away from them, and then that was it. What more did they have?

He wished he could see Ravenclaw play to make notes on them. But their first game was against them, Slytherin. Maybe they could go to one of their practices? Sneak a few peeks? Maybe that wasn't necessary. Maybe he was just thinking too much. But, Ravenclaw does have a pretty solid team. He decided he would bring it up to Wynd and Mary once they got somewhere where they wouldn't have to scream to hear each other because of those idiot Gryffindors. He wasn't scared or anything. It's just he liked to gather information before doing certain things, thats all. Just so he can go about doing things the right way, and take necessary precautions. Nothing wrong with a little preparation, right?