New Rivalry ((Olivia))

[Wynd Lehane]

All good things must come to an end. Today it was winter holidays. Today the Hogwarts Express would be leaving King's Cross Station and heading back to the castle. Wynd and Ruby had to catch that train if they wanted to get back to school. Wynd could honestly say that he wasn't looking forward to the new term. The only thing that would be going back for would be Quidditch and no official Slytherin games had been announced. The only thing waiting for Wynd back at Hogwarts was their O.W.L.s. Wynd was not too concerned about them. He was a good student and a great student when he wanted to be. He had to be. He had to be able to keep up with Ruby for the time when they took power from the incompetent ministry. Wynd could hardly wait for that day.

Crossing the barrier into Platform Nine and Three Quarters was fairly painless as always. The only bad thing was having to see the mudbloods running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Would they ever get the hang of magic? Never. They weren't meant to have it. They shouldn't have it. Luckily, the train mid-year was never as crowded as the train at the beginning and end of year. Many students chose to stay at Hogwarts. As if the very castle itself was their home. Wynd's roommate Dylan usually stayed at school during the winter holidays. Wynd always wondered what he did when he was left to his own devices in the dorm room. Probably ran around all night and slept during the day. Whatever. As long as he left Wynd's bed alone. Dylan seemed like the type to put indoor fireworks in all of his roommates' beds while they were gone. Maybe not. It would be a good lark though.

Ruby waved goodbye to him as she went in search of Valmer. Wynd gave a half of a smile as he watched steam overtake her. He watched for a second the space that she disappeared and then boarded the train. At this point in time most of the students were still saying their goodbyes to their families. Wynd didn't have to worry about that. Their father rarely accompanied them to the station and their mother... well she couldn't. So there were no long goodbyes or sappy hugs. That was the way Wynd liked it. A goodbye should be short and sweet. There was no point in drawing it out. Wynd walked along the corridor looking for an empty compartment to sit in. He saw many but none that he liked. The curtains looked discolored in one and there was a strange smell coming from another. Finally he found one that he liked. Sliding open the compartment door he found that the compartment was not quite empty. There was a girl inside. Olivia Dawson. A fifth year Slytherin like him. Wynd shrugged and thought to himself, At least she's in the right house. He acknowledged her presence and decided to sit in that compartment whether she agreed or not. Putting his things on the luggage rack he sat down across from her. "Did you have a good holiday?" It was always nice to start with pleasantries.

[Olivia Dawson S6]

Olivia’s gaze stopped at her mirror as she was glancing around her room one last time. She checked her reflection once more to make sure she looked perfect. There were some things that were better with flaws, but Olivia was normally a perfectionist with her looks. If it was one thing she hated the most was when people compared her with someone else. Olivia was her own person, not to be compared with others. Her style was all her own, and it could not be labeled. Olivia would never make a point of looking like someone else. She smiled a bit as she checked her reflection. Today, Olivia was wearing her classic look. Her ripped jeans and combat black combat boots went perfectly with her bright green tank top and heavy black leather jacket. Her eyes had dark makeup that made her look dark and mysterious. And her bright red lips really emphasized the color in her eyes. Her newly died black hair was tied up in a messy bun and large silver hoops were hanging from her ears. She realized the look was a bit dramatic, but that was who she was. Olivia’s look was dramatic. It was bold and out there, but yet it still looked good. She looked around one more time and once she was skating down the street on her skateboard, she didn’t glance back at the Dawson manor.

Laura had already left for King’s Cross station with the other children and Martin was off doing god knows what with god knows who. They had all walked past Olivia’s room this morning like no one was there. They simply walked by as if they didn’t have a third child. But it didn’t matter to Olivia. She was used to it. Aside from Elle, Olivia’s little sister, Olivia didn’t care about any of her family. They simply weren’t worth her time. Olivia rolled her eyes as she noticed Laura and her children at King’s Cross. The station wasn’t any more than five minutes away on skateboard. She winked at Elle, who smiled in return. Laura placed her hand protectively on her daughter’s shoulder, sending a cold glare hurling toward Olivia. She flashed Laura a rude hand gesture and laughed at Laura’s shocked face. She walked into the train. She walked around the train, hoping to find a place to sit. Olivia’s favorite carriage was on the far end of the train, and she wished to occupy it once more. It had been Olivia’s compartment ever since first year, when Olivia was no bigger than the little firsties that roamed around the corridors of the train like lost puppies.

Finally, she found it. A group of second years were occupying it at the moment and Olivia had no wish to sit with them. So, she kicked them out. With one cold hard glare, the second years scattered, leaving the compartment empty save for Olivia of course. She took a seat next to the window and opened it wide, letting the cool air fill the compartment. Olivia was one of the few people out there who enjoyed the cold. Besides, she had to get used to it, being a smoker and all. Sometimes, she had the most random and most intense craving for a smoke when she was in a room full of professors or in detention. She couldn’t pull out a smoke right then and there, so she had to take a walk outside in the middle of the winter. Speaking of smoking, seeing Laura had given her a huge craving for a smoke. She pulled one out and lit it, breathing in the sweet smoky air.

Olivia was enjoying her cigarette when suddenly, she heard the sound of the compartment door sliding open and closed. She looked up and watched the boy sit down across from her, uninvited. She raised her eyebrow but didn’t say a word. She could already tell the type of boy this guy was. He was in Olivia’s house and year, and Olivia had heard about the boy and his twin. But Olivia wasn’t one to pass judgment based on what she heard, she was going to let this Wynd Lehane boy tell her himself what he was like. By just looking at him, Olivia could tell he was a pretty handsome kid. With his blonde hair and bright blue eyes, Wynd looked very charming and mysterious. Olivia waved the thought away as if swatting a fly. She shrugged and answered his question.

“It was alright. Could have been better.” Olivia said, thinking about the various yelling matches Olivia had with Laura every other day. Laura and Martin Dawson weren’t even worthy of being called parents, so Olivia never addressed them as such. She brought the small white cigarette to her lips, waiting for him to answer. “The names Olivia by the way.” She said, inhaling the sweet smoke. Olivia paused and waited for him to answer. Olivia already knew his name, but it was only polite to introduce oneself. If it was anything that Martin and Laura had managed to drill into Olivia’s head it was manners. Olivia was so full of manners it scared her.

[Wynd Lehane]

She was smoking. A cigarette that is. Wynd wouldn't exactly call her hot but she wasn't exactly plain either. Usually her hair was blonde. Or was it red the last time he saw her? Or brown? It seemed like every time he saw Olivia she had a different color on top of her head. Whatever. Whatever made her happy. Her clear blue eyes went well with her hair and her dark make-up was nice as well. The only problem was that she looked like a muggle. True, by law, all the wizarding folk were made to dress up like muggles when traveling (another reason to hate them, did they ever dress like wizards? only one night of the year, in October, and that was to mock them). So they all looked like muggles but the girl in front of him actually seemed to enjoy looking like a muggle. Or at least she knew how to dress like them. And she looked good. Wynd chased that thought away as quickly as it came.

Wynd wanted to ask her to put out her cigarette. Wynd didn't care if people wanted to smoke. It was their choice but when it impeded his air then he took offence. And the smoke from her cigarette was stinking up the entire compartment regardless of the fact that she had opened a window. But he kept his mouth shut. After all, he was the one who came into her compartment. She was a Slytherin after all, she did reserve some respect. His sister had never really talked about Olivia. Wynd couldn't be sure why not. But then again, how well did he actually know his roommates? He had just started talking with Dylan and Valmer this year and Samaal, well, he was special. He couldn't expect Ruby to talk to the fifth year Slytherin girls if he wasn't going to talk with the fifth year boys.

"I'm Wynd," he responded to her. He gave her a small polite smile as was proper when introducing yourself. "It's nice to formally meet you." They had been going to the same school for almost five years now. It seemed incredulous that the two had never formally introduced themselves to each other and yet here they were. Wynd was not sure what else there was to say so he looked out the window. He hoped they would soon be on their way. He hated sitting there having no control over the journey. He looked back at Olivia with her black hair and leather jacket. Usually he was not at a loss for words but none would come. He hated muggle clothing but somehow she made them look... all right.

[Olivia Dawson S6]

The two fifth years sat in silence for awhile as they surveyed each other carefully and silently. Olivia could tell Wynd was eyeing her muggle clothing with a grimace on his face, but she could also tell he was checking her out. He probably was just one of those pureblood babies who’s never seen someone actually enjoy wearing muggle clothes. Olivia preferred it actually. With robes and wizard attire, there was no creativity. Everyone looked exactly the same, especially at Hogwarts. Olivia hated the fact that she had to wear a uniform at school, and avoided wearing school robes as much as possible. It just didn’t make sense to Olivia how someone would enjoy wearing the same thing every day, while someone else looks exactly like you. Olivia openly promoted individuality and creativity in her life, and she hated all things the same.

Olivia brought the cigarette to her lips again, noting the fact that Wynd didn’t seem pleased to see her smoking. But, it was his fault then wasn’t it? He was the one who had entered the compartment after Olivia was already inside. He hadn’t even asked if he could sit there. If he didn’t like the smoke so much, then he could just jump off his high horse and get the hell out of Olivia’s compartment. Olivia raised her eyebrow at his introduction. He said his name with the kind of pride that made Olivia sick. It reminded Olivia strangely of her family. Elle was the only normal one of all the Dawsons. Olivia wouldn’t even count herself as one of the normal ones. Sure, she was a bit odd, but at least she wasn’t crazy like most of them. Elle simply wanted to be her own person and break away from the Olivia Dawson’s sister or Laura and Martin Dawson’s daughter role. Olivia didn’t blame her for wanting her individuality. It was her right, and Olivia was proud of her sister for seeking out some independence. Olivia simply hated her parents, and she didn’t like to use her surname to introduce herself. She didn’t want to have anything to do with them, and Olivia couldn’t wait to get married, even if it was only to change her name. She sighed and let more smoke escape through her mouth and nose.

“So, you done with the inspection, sergeant?” Olivia teased. She had caught him staring, and he would most likely take offense very quickly. He was a Slytherin with a sickeningly amount of self pride, and she was sure she’d receive a nice big hex for her words. But this Wynd Lehane boy wasn’t going to do anything of the sort, no matter how much he wanted to. He would bite back with every foul word he had, but he’d never lay a wand nor a hand on Olivia. He seemed too much of a gentleman to do such a thing. Suddenly, Olivia found herself getting to the butt of the cigarette. She flicked the ugly cigarette butt out the window and reached into her pocket for another smoke. Olivia checked her pocket and groaned inwardly when she saw what was inside. Her brand new full pack of cigarettes had been emptied out clean and replaced by little white candy sticks. Olivia looked inside and in the corner of the pack there was a note wrapped around a white candy stick. “Maybe if you were a bit more respectful to your mother, you’d be able to murder your lungs a bit more on the train. But I guess you can’t now, can you?” Said an evil teasing yellow note. She hurled the pack of candy and the note out the window. “Damnit Laura!” She muttered maliciously under her breath. She couldn’t believe what her mother had done to her. Someone from the ministry had obviously seen Olivia’s rude hand gesture before and now Laura was getting back at her for it. Olivia felt her cravings rise up again and now that Olivia had no cigarettes left, all she had was gum. Olivia always carried around a pack of gum in case she wasn’t able to get a hold of a smoke when she got a craving. Now was definitely one of those times. Olivia popped a stick of gum in her mouth and chewed it furiously, her arms folded stubbornly across her chest. Olivia couldn’t believe Laura would do something so seriously childish. But then again, she was Laura Dawson, the most evil woman on the planet, so maybe Olivia wasn’t so surprised after all.

[Wynd Lehane]

Sergeant? She was obviously trying to annoy him. "Barely," he retorted. It was not that easy to lure him into an argument. Wynd and Ruby had trained themselves to keep their cool under all conditions. They knew that if you let the enemy sway your emotions in any way, you had already lost. Not to say that this girl in front of him was a potential enemy, but Wynd didn't know her. Therefore he was going to keep his guard up. But calling him a sergeant? Maybe he had been closely examining her clothing and her body, but he was trying to find out what was so alluring about looking like a muggle. He hated the fact that the wizarding community had to dress like muggles whenever they traveled any where. As if they had to hid from the muggles. As if they were afraid of them. Hah! Afraid of muggles? Never.

Wynd would never fear muggles. His entire family would never fear muggles. Muggles were the root of all evil. The Dark Lord had the right idea about purging the world. The thought of the Dark Lord made Wynd remember the conversation that he had with Valmer. Valmer was under the impression that Wynd and Ruby wanted to bring back the Dark Lord. Bring him back? He already had two chances. Why would they want to give him three? Two obviously wasn't enough. What good would come of a third chance? Wynd had laughed at Valmer's ludicrous suggestion. Although his idea had made Wynd think. If Ruby was dating him, would he be swayed by her ideas? Or would he sway her? Wynd hoped not. Wynd highly doubted that Ruby would be so easily manipulated. But the day would come when she had to chose between her boyfriend and their goal.

Wynd watched as the girl opposite him flicked the end of her cigarette out of the window. Wynd breathed easier thinking that that was going to be the end of her smoking. Much to his dismay she reached into her pocket and pulled out a box of cigarettes. Wynd glanced out the compartment window to the corridor and vaguely wondered if he could stand the discoloured curtains over her smoking. When he looked back he was surprised that she wasn't not lighting a newly found cigarette but reading a note. She then threw the box of cigarettes and note out the opened window. Wynd's eyes followed the box and the note as they flew out the window and disappeared from view. His blue eyes traveled back to the girl. She quietly cursed. So this girl had a bite to her after all. "Wrong flavor?" he asked her referring to the box she had just disposed of. She crossed her arms across her delicate frame. Wynd smirked at the thought that something, he didn't know what, had gotten under her skin. "If you're not going to smoke, can we close the window? It's a bit chilly."

[Olivia Dawson S6]

Olivia couldn't believe her mother. No, Laura is not worthy of being called a mother. said a voice in Olivia's mind. And that voice was right. Laura Dawson was not a real mother. Sure, she had given birth to Olivia, Brian, and Elle, but she had not lived up to the name. She was merely the person that gave birth to Olivia. Not her mother. Mothers tried to help you if you were in trouble. Not push you away and fire curses at you if she didn't like the person you were. Mothers gave you love and support, and remembered you were their daughter, no matter what. They didn't send you cold hearted glares that showed no sign of the original love Laura had for Olivia. But did she really love Olivia in the first place, or was she just some mistake? Olivia remembered hearing a conversation Laura and Martin had one night about her. She was only ten, but that didn't mean she didn't understand what was going on.

Olivia had been an accident. Laura and Dawson weren't prepared to have a child just yet, and when Laura found out she was pregnant, she freaked. She was about to have an abortion, but didn't for the sake of Olivia. And then she said something Olivia thought even Laura would ever say. The words were ringing in her head. "She's so weird, Martin! So unlike us. She doesn't even follow the pureblood way! Sometimes I wish I had just nipped this in the butt from the start. I wonder if having Olivia was really worth all this trouble she's causing." And that was the day Olivia started to hate Laura. Before, Olivia was just a child. She played around and actually loved her mother. Not after that comment. Hearing that comment had turned Olivia into a teenager. It helped her grow up and break away from the Dawsons. When she turned seventeen, she'd break away completely.

She could tell Wynd was agitated by Olivia's 'sergeant' comment, but he tried to hide it with a smug face and a sarcastic comment. She could see him surveying her clothes, almost as if he were surveying aliens. "If you're wondering why I'm wearing these clothes, you could have just asked me instead of staring open mouthed at me like I'm some kind of freak, you know." She said with a hint of hostility in her voice. Wynd then answered with a sarcastic comment about Olivia's small anger fit about her cigarettes earlier. "No, actually. The pack was tampered with." She said simply, not wanting to let on that it was tampered with by her mother. No, that would be divulging far too much information about herself. He asked to close the window, and while Olivia didn't want to give Wynd what he wanted, she was getting a little cold as well. Withought answering him, she raised her wand, and slammed the window closed with one flick. Olivia realised that Wynd had succeeded in getting her a bit angry, but she couldn't help her anger. First she was deprived of her cigarettes-by Laura of all people, then Wynd had gotten too close to knowing what was going on in Olivia's life. She didn't like that he had gotten so close, and her anger clearly showed it.

Olivia liked to keep her life as private as possible, never letting anyone even come near the giant electric fence surrounding her heart. No one had managed to penetrate it yet, even though many have tried. Her closest friends were nearing the fence, but they weren't even close to breaking it down. Olivia wanted to make sure nobody would ever break down that sacred fence. Olivia knew that once people were in, there was no coming out. They'd be imprinted in her heart forever, and Olivia would never be able to forget about them. Olivia guarded her heart carefully for one reason. If people got the chance to break down that fence, eventually, they'd be able to break her heart as well. Olivia was strong, but she wasn't stupid enough to think she was immune to heartbreak.

[Wynd Lehane]

Wynd could tell that something had interrupted Olivia's mood. Something had made her all hot and bothered. Bothered! Not hot! It was just an expression! There was no deeper meaning behind it. Yes, Wynd was male and Olivia was obviously female, but that's as far as it went. Just because they were of the opposite sex didn't mean that they had to be attracted to each other did it? No. Look at Ruby and Wynd. But they were siblings so that didn't count. What about Ruby and Valmer? Well, they were dating now. Wait a second! Wynd didn't even like Olivia as a friend much less anything else. There was nothing attractive about her. She was wearing muggle clothing, she was smoking... she was rude. Why were thoughts like this going through Wynd's mind? They weren't. Rather, they soon wouldn't be. Wynd would just think of something else. But it was hard when the only other person in the compartment was Olivia.

Olivia slammed the window shut. Wynd thanked her with a smirk. He wondered if thoughts similar to his were running through her head. No, they weren't. Because Wynd wasn't having those thoughts. He turned to watch the scenery rush past out the window. It had always amazed Wynd to see how empty this part of England was. Not necessarily empty. Empty was the wrong word. Void. Void of people. Void of muggles. He sometimes wondered if muggles could see the Hogwarts Express moving along it's track or the even the track itself. Then Wynd asked himself why he even cared. So what if muggles saw the Express. So what if muggles saw a glimpse of the magical world. Wizards and witches were forced to see the muggle world daily. It sickened Wynd and just fed his fury. Wynd stole his gaze away from the window only to find Olivia in her muggle clothes. She apparently had no problem with trying to "blend in" with them.

The thought made him realise that he was still in his makeshift muggle clothes. They were the same as he always wore when he was made to look like a muggle. A big baggy moss green sweatshirt (Wynd sometimes heard it referred to as a hoodie) and loose jeans. He couldn't wait to change from these clothes into his Hogwarts uniform. He had no qualms about changing in front of this girl that he barely knew. He was proud of his body and was happy to show it off. He wasn't quite as muscular as his roommate Dylan, but his body was nothing to be ashamed of. He stood up and took off the green sweatshirt along with the shirt he was wearing underneath it (a plain white t-shirt with the words: Eat my shorts; whatever that meant). Next he kicked off his shoes and took off his pants. He stood there naked save his underpants and slightly wondered if Olivia was looking at him. He wanted to glance at her direction but thought better of it. From his trunk he took out the white oxford shirt that was the foundation of his uniform. He continued getting dressed facing away from Olivia out of fear that he might glance at her and give her the satisfaction that he was wondering about her. He finished dressing in silence, stuffed his muggle clothes in his trunk and sat down again facing his fellow Slytherin.

[Olivia Dawson S6]

Wynd smirked arrogantly and practically hissed his word of thanks. A typical snake, Wynd was. Olivia managed not to roll her eyes. At their Quidditch practice just days before, he’d been very arrogant as well. Sure he had managed to score a goal when Olivia could not, but that wasn’t the point. Arrogance was not a positive quality. It was one thing to be confident and sure of yourself, but it was another to brag about your abilities and attempt to put other people down. Olivia was a strong girl. Many people over the years had tried to put Olivia down, make her feel inferior. Olivia was amongst a class of many of them. But she didn’t care. If they thought Olivia was stupid for smoking, then let them. It gave her peace of mind, and that’s all she cared about. If people thought Olivia was irresponsible and rebellious just because she didn’t particularly like fitting in with everyone else, then let them. Olivia was her own person, and she would do what she thought was best for herself. Her professors and her parents at one time said they knew what was best for Olivia. But how did they know? Just because they had more wrinkles on their face than Olivia did didn’t make them capable of understanding Olivia and what was best for her. Only Olivia herself could do that.

She sighed, following Wynd’s line of vision to the country outside. It was so beautiful. Olivia rarely found many things worth her time or interest, but Olivia had always harbored a love of the outdoors. She spent so much time out there lately getting away from judgmental annoying people, but even before the outdoors became an escape for a cigarette she loved them. She would always climb trees until she got high enough to see her entire garden. Her mother would always try to coax her down, complaining that she was ripping her new expensive stockings. She saw Wynd look back at her, examining her clothes. Olivia wished he would stop that. She couldn’t stand the way his mysterious blue eyes looked her over, making Olivia’s blood boil and her insides melt. What was Olivia thinking? She wasn’t going to let Wynd make her feel that way. She was strong and independent, and she didn’t need a man…especially a man like Wynd Lehane. Wynd just wasn’t her type. He reminded her far too much of her mother, and she didn’t like that at all. And Olivia never thought any relationship would ever last, but he wasn’t even someone Olivia could see herself having fun with. She’d never get him to go to one of the many muggle parties Olivia attends every night, so what would she do for fun around him? No, Wynd wasn’t even worth a second thought. He was just a headache waiting to happen. So why was she thinking about him like this?

Olivia felt her face grow hot, but she didn’t blush. Olivia never blushed. The only way one would ever see color appear on Olivia’s cheeks is if she applied it herself with makeup. But Wynd wasn’t helping Olivia’s emotions either. Olivia cursed herself mentally for letting her guard down like it was, but she couldn’t help it. I mean, any normal girl would be distracted if she was alone in a compartment with Mr. Wavy-Blonde-Hair-Bright-Blue-Eyes over here while he was changing. Olivia couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Or rather; that she was even seeing this at all. Olivia tried to look out the window to try to take her mind off the boy who was practically getting naked right in front of her. But of course, the light had to be hitting the window just the right way so she could see his reflection very clearly. She turned again, trying to look anywhere but at Wynd. He didn’t seem to notice or care that there was a female in his house and year sitting right across from him, trying not to watch him change. Finally, he sat down, wearing his green Slytherin robes. Personally, Olivia thought Wynd looked better in his muggle clothes (which looked far too big for him) than his robes, but that was Olivia’s opinion. Besides, it was a good thing that Wynd was less appealing to her now. She glanced out the window again. It was getting dark, and Olivia could faintly see Hogwarts castle in the distance. They were getting close, and Olivia figured she’d better change too.

“Well now that you’re done stripping…I think I’ll get dressed.” Olivia flicked her wand, opening the compartment door. “Sorry to disappoint you Lehane, but just because you like to show off what your mother gave you doesn’t mean I do as well.” She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to leave. It wouldn’t take her more than thirty seconds to change, but she figured she’d stretch out the time a bit just to annoy him. His attitude had certainly done a lot to annoy her today, so why couldn’t she do the same?

[Wynd Lehane]

Olivia seemed to look anywhere but at Wynd. He hoped that he had made her uncomfortable by changing in front of her. It was a trait that many people found surprising about Wynd. He had little to no modesty. While other students had trouble going from the baths to their room in just a robe, Wynd thought it was confining. He would much rather trek the journey between the prefect bathroom and his dormitory in nothing but thongs. Of course, he didn't really want to run into McGonagall with nothing on but he would cross that bridge if he ever came to it. There was many a time when he would spend an afternoon with nothing on. His roommate Valmer found that out the hard way. But what did Wynd care? Valmer was equipped the same way that Wynd was so there was no reason to act like the sight was so shocking. Modesty boggled Wynd. But his unashamed behavior had made a mark on Olivia. The right side of his mouth curled into a smile.

Olivia flicked her wand and the door to the compartment slid open. Olivia then spoke to him and looked at him expecting something. Wynd looked back just as hard. He wanted her to spell out exactly what she wanted. Just to make her upset. At first, Wynd thought that she might be going to the toilets to change which would have been a perfect opportunity to lock the door after her. Then he would have been able to enjoy the rest of the journey in peace. But it was clear from the silence that followed as her stare that he was expected to leave. Fine. If that's what she wanted, he would leave. She was a lady after all and if Wynd had learned anything in his manners class it was to always oblige the wishes of a lady. No matter how much you disliked her. He slowly got up making sure to hold her stare all the way up. He turned and walked out of the compartment. "I'll get it," he told her as he left, referring to the door. When he was in the hallway he closed the door behind him. Wynd turned and started walking down the hallway, he was going to find Samaal or Autumn. Anyone would be better to spend the rest of the journey with than her.

((OOC: Sorry it's so short and it took me so long but now I can finally reply to the ball )