playing for the future - lyric

Quidditch practice had been rough today. Of course, having it at 5AM had been his idea. He thought that, with the big game against Slytherin coming up, that they could use the extra practice. It hadn't occurred to him that not all the members of the team had been raised on a farm and trained to wake up at the butt crack of dawn to milk cows or get ready for school. What had been nothing to him, had been, it seemed, the rest of the team's worst nightmare.

Now that practice was over, Taze was sitting on a bench in the grass below the field. He could tell from the warmth that seemed to spread just under the surface of his skin that he was flushed from activity. He took a long sip of water from his bottle and lean back against one of the tall towers that held the stand hundreds of feet above his head. The tarp behind his head was bright gold and black. A Hufflepuff stand. One of the chasers was laying in the grass with their eyes closed. This prompted him to speak, as team captain, "Okay, yall," He started, trying to get everyone's attention, "That was a great practice but we will need more work if we want to beat Slytherin this year. Our next practice can either be this evening after dinner, or we can have another tomorrow morning at 5. Let's take a vote."

TAGS - LYRIC LEXIE LEE

"Why not both?" Lyric piped up from the pole she was leaning against. The early mornings weren't ideal, but she was used to working off of a few hours of sleep and they needed to win this game. Her team,ages greated her with dirty looks, but she shrugged them off before turning so she could look Taze in the eye. "What? This is a big game and the more practice we get in the better. But if you aren't up for that, then I guess tomorrow morning makes more sense. Give everyone a chance to rest up."

Another chaser looked like she was about to hex Lyric, but that was nothing new. Quidditch was one of the few wizard-ish activities that the half-blood enjoyed and was good at. She would play all day if they would let her, but apparently that was frowned upon.

Grinning, Taze raised his eye brows at Lyric and nodded, "So we have two votes for both, since that's what I want as well." The chaser who had been laying on the ground didn't even bother to open his eyes before shaking his head in the negative, "No way I am doing both." Said the chaser. His out burst was greeted by a number of nods from the lazier members of the team and Taze rolled his eyes before finally saying, "Fine, tomorrow morning it is then." A series of groans sang like a chorus but no one else complain vocally, knowing that a complaint would result in an after dinner practice.

TAGS - LYRIC LEXIE LEE

Lyric shook her head and then slid down until she was sitting on the grass. The rest of the team was already grabbing their junk and getting ready to leave, but Lyric was honestly considering staying to practice a little while longer. She still had some time and no one had booked the slot after theirs because it was too early, so why not? Solo flying wasn't as competitive, but it was still fun and was better than just going inside to take a nap like her fellow chaser was heading off to do.

"I almost can't believe they wussed out on an extra practice. Almost. Especially after our last game with slytherin." Lyric comments as the rest of the team went out of earshot. Sure, they were all good players and there was no doubt that they would win, but last game had been a little too close for her taste. "Especially the chasers. Their beaters got us more than I care to count last year. It was embarrassing and totally preventable." Which was exactly why she intended to stay and do some practice on her own. Those stupid bludgers hurt and Taze couldn't be everywhere, especially when the slytherins were so malicious.

Watching the others go, Taze shook his head. If only he could find a team that cared as much and he did about winning. Sure, winning isn't everything, but what else actually matters, come game time? He couldn't understand the others, but had been team captain too long to actually be surprised.

Looking at Lyric, he put is hand out and yelled 'up' loudly enough that his broom flew into his hand even though if had a bag on top of it. He looked at Lyric and grinned, "I assume you're staying too?" He said in a coy voice that made the simple question sound like something naughty and suggestive. He felt his feet lift off the ground slightly as he hovered close by so he could hear the response.

TAGS - LYRIC LEXIE LEE

Pushing herself to her feet, Lyric flashed a mischievous grin at Taze before repeating his motions without a word. Once she was hovering near him, she leaned close to the Gryffindor captain to mock whisper to him. "Race you. "And with that she was off, the wind blowing her hair around, even though it was up in a pony tail. She wasn't even sure Taze was following as she turned towards the slytherin stands and went around them. Flying was the most amazing thing she had ever done, and that was saying something. Making her way back towards the pitch, she let out an excited laugh as she dove towards the ground, just messing around.

Taze wasn't far behind for a moment, but quickly broke off from her patch and swerved around the goal posts and watch her. She had good speed, and amazing control over it. His mind automatically started thinking of plays they might be able to run with her in the lead, "Hey!" He called out to her, trying to get her attention, "Don't we have class soon?" He asked, glancing at his watch and realizing that History of Magic was in less than 20 minutes.

when she heard Taze's voice, Lyric swung around to face him before joining him near the goal posts. "Crap. I lost track of time. Think we can still make it?" She wasn't much of a stickler for learning and all that, but it was too close to finals for them to be messing around. It would be hard to explain that she failed a class because she was out messing around our here.

Landing just beside where they had left their bags, Lyric threw hers over her shoulder and then stood there to wait for Taze. If she was going to be late, at least she wouldn't have to walk in alone.

Taze grinned, landing next to her, "Of course, if you don't mind breaking a few rules..." He said dropping to the ground just long enough to grab his bag and swing it over his shoulder. He then took off to the air again and hovered high enough to see the castle from where they were, "It's on the fourth floor, right?"

Following Taze back up in to the air, she scanned the castle in front of them for a moment before turning to look at him. Was he really serious? Of course he was, this was Taze she was talking about. "Fourth floor, but I think it's on the other side." Lyric confirmed, not quite being able to see the distinctive tapestries that should've been hanging in the window. "After you, oh fearless leader." Lyric motioned with a light laugh. She was definitely going along with it, but there was no way she would go first, not with potential detentions hanging over their head.

He raised he eye brows, "All right, let's go then." He said, leaning into the broom to take off. He was back at the castle more quickly than he expected and following along the fourth floor windows, watching them fly by until he found a corridor nearly their classroom. Through the stained glass he could see students walking in the halls and laughing. Backing up a little, he looked through the window for a moment, trying to decide the best way to do what he was planning. He knew there was a spell to make the window disappear, but he wasn't sure it would work on a Hogwarts window. Glaring at the window for a moment, he reaching into his back pocket a yanked out his wand, a 10" oak with a dragon scale core. He chanted the words he thought he remembered from Charms and waved it at the window as if he knew what he was doing. Instead of making the window disappear, one of the students inside the corridor sprouted a pair of horse ears. Gasping, Taze started laughing and turned his broom to follow along the wall a little further, "Oh my god, my bad." He chuckled, finding a balcony he hadn't known was there and landing softly.

The look on the poor kid's face was priceless by the time she could see what Taze had done. Of all things, why did it have to be horse ears? Shooting the kid an apologetic glance in between giggles, she followed him to the balcony and touched down. "Really Taze?" Lyric grinned, attempting to push the door to the balcony open with one hand while juggling her broom with the other. It didn't budge quite the way she had hoped, probably because it was locked from the inside. "I think fate has determined that we aren't going to class this morning." Pulling her wand out, a pretty little 9" rosewood with a unicorn tale core and examining the lock. Would the alohomora charm work on it? In general it was about a 50-50 chance in the castle, but it was worth a shot.

Taze was doubled over laughing, "Hey, it's not completely my fault, right?" He knew it was, but no way was he going to admit it. He pressed his face against the window and looked into a dark room. Maybe it was an empty classroom? He wasn't sure but he knew they need to get off the roof and there was now a nice collection of students in the field below the balcony pointing up at them. Chances were good if they flew anywhere else they would end up in detention tonight and that wasn't an option to Taze. He needed to get back tot he pitch later...

"Dude, it's totally your fault." Lyric teased as she finally muttered the charm. A satisfying click came from the door as the lock opened and she was finally able to push the door in. The room was creepy, even for Hogwarts, and so dark that she had to light up her wand to see. "Where are we?" She whispered, stepping backwards and bumping in to what she assumed was Taze. The contact made her jump, but she wasn't ready to turn around just yet.

Taze followed closely behind her and was a little surprised when she bumped into him. Instinctively he wrapped and arm around her to steady her, Now she was almost leaning against his chest and he was looking down at the top of her head, and consequently right down the front of her shirt. He grinned and held her tightly so she couldn't get away, "I didn't realize we were so close, Lex." He laughed.