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Post by marlene on Aug 5, 2011 7:45:31 GMT -6
Take me for what I am For Who I'm Meant To Be   And if you Give a Damn Take Me Baby or Leave Me [/color][/font][/font] --------------------------------------------------------[/center] Marlene walked into the empty quidditch pitch by herself. She wore a grey tank top and black shorts. Her brown hair was tied up in an elastic with a few annoying strands that just wouldn’t be held back. She knew these strands would annoy her throughout her little practice session but she had to deal with it. She had decided to spend the day practicing Quidditch in the Pitch before try outs. She had made the team before but you never know. She could have lost some of her skill over the summer, she wanted to make sure that it wasn’t the case. She wanted to practice to help give Ravenclaw a better chance at actually winning this year. They have won in the past, she just felt like winning. She was determined to become so skillful that they would have to make her captain next year. She wanted to be captain more than anything. Well maybe not more than anything but that desire was pretty high up in her list of goals to do in her lifetime.
She carried a Quaffle under her arm. She managed to get permission to use it for practice only if she would let other players practice with her if they wished. She didn’t have a problem with it at all. But for now solitary practice was perfect. She mounted her broom, Nimbus 1970. It wasn’t as new as the others but she had her parents to blame for that. They didn’t want to waste the money they very well had for her to have a new broom. Maybe it was because they didn’t want her playing Quidditch. They thought it was too dangerous for Marlene. But they didn’t understand that passion she had for the game. This was something she had been doing since she first arrived at Hogwarts and she was good at it. She always had fun playing and made most of her friends through Quidditch. It wasn’t something she would let her parents take away from her just out of concern. So for now she was dealing with this broom. She was able to play in it so that was all that mattered, right? She shook out of her thoughts and decided it was time to practice. She would start with accelerating into the air from the whistle blowing. She pushed up and went full speed into the air as she threw up her quaffle and raced to catch it as fast as she could.
She spent the next few hours doing small little excersizes. She would practice her aim for the hoops from different areas then immediately race to catch the Quaffle. Once or twice she would try shooting from the middle of the pitch, something that barely anyone does considering how stupid it would be to make that decision. She then just practiced flying, trying to increase her speed and stamina. After that two hour practice session non-stop she got on the ground she jumped off her broom and laid down on the grass. She just layed down there still for a few seconds to catch her breath as her through was needing water. She sat up and reached for her bag as she pulled out her water canteen and started to drink most of it. She screwed the cap and removed the loose strands of hair from her eyes. She just sat there for a few more minutes. A fresh breeze went by as she closed her eyes in content, it felt so good on her skin. She may actually make this break last longer than she intended to.
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Tag: James! =)
Words: 602
Notes: Here it is hon 
Lyrics: Take Me or Leave Me from Rent
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Post by James Potter on Aug 8, 2011 10:53:25 GMT -6
JAMES LIAM POTTER [/color]  .  Presence requested by Marlene Mckinnon.
Time: Afternoon.
Plot: Competitive attitudes and fun.[/right][/size] It was still relatively early when James was woken up by Remus' magical one man band. The crashing of symbols and banging of drums was dreadful, but the screech of that trumpet sounded like someone scratching nails on a chalkboard. James was a music advocate like anyone else, so he couldn't stand that most of Remus' favourite ways to startle them into being awake was using it. It made him really consider joining the Death Eaters just to put an end to music - that was a little dramatic, but needless to say, James had woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. He had grumbled his way into his clothing in a zombie-like state without knowing what exactly he would plan to do.
The other Marauders didn't play Quidditch. It may have been because James was star Quidditch player and they were intimidated, but more likely, it just wasn't their cup of tea. Remus preferred academics, Sirius enjoyed pranks, and Peter had a love of food that could be matched by no other. However, try-outs were coming up for the teams, and as the new Gryffindor Captain, James had to brush up on his skills as a Chaser. It wouldn't be right if the Captain couldn't show off a few tricks without being rusty in front of his possible teammates. Though he suspected that whatever rustiness he may have acquired over the summer would be very short-lived, he still felt some force pulling him toward the broom closet to fetch his Comet and get to work.
He had gone off to speak to the Headmaster about practicing with the Quaffle, but was disappointed to find out it had already been taken to the Quidditch Pitch by someone else. It didn't matter if that person was to share it (as if they were children), the problem was this person could be anyone, and James really didn't feel like having to hex someone this early in the year... okay, well, that may have been a lie. Any excuse to hex someone made him feel pretty bubbly inside. Hell, what if it were one of the Slytherins? Better yet, one of the other Captains? And then even better, the Slytherin Captain? He didn't know who the other Captains were yet, but that didn't matter to him; Gryffindor was winning this year's Quidditch Cup.
As soon as he was outside of the castle, James mounted his broom for a faster form of transportation to the Quidditch Pitch. The wind rushed around his body in a familiar sense, and he closed his eyes for a moment to take it all in. He had many, many talents, but Quidditch seemed to be where he belonged. It wasn't something he wanted to make a life out of, but it was definitely a rush and a great hobby. More so, he enjoyed flying, but to add competition to that, well, it made the entire experience that much better. Maybe he wouldn't hex anyone today after all - maybe he would just challenge him or her or them to a short-lived match. That might thrill him even a little better than casting a hex on said person. Furthermore, it wouldn't be means for deducted points from the Head Boy.
He neared the Quidditch Pitch and began to slow down so he could study who all was there with his Quaffle. He hid behind the box where they announced the games and searched, his hand just above his eyes to beat the sun away. He squinted, looking through the entire stadium and seeing absolutely no one. He was about to head back to the castle, thinking it had already been returned on his way out, when his eyes dropped down to the grass below, where someone was lying down. He couldn't make out who the person was, or even the gender, until she sat up in her spot to get a drink. A grin stretched across his lips as he recognised the figure as Marlene Mckinnon, a Ravenclaw Chaser. And there, beside her, the Quaffle he needed.
Just then a clever idea blew through his head just like the breeze around him, and he found himself taking a nose-dive straight for her. His body was pressed hard against his broomstick and that grin hadn't disappeared. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he pulled up and rushed passed Marlene, seizing the Quaffle and rushing it to one of the Hoops to score a goal. He laughed loudly enough for her to hear below him and then went to catch the ball before it hit the ground. "And James Potter, Captain of the Gryffindor team, scores another goal! That makes the score sixty to ten with Gryffindor in the lead!" He raised his arms in the air and did a short fist pump to show victory.
He steered his broom back down to Marlene and hovered in the air about fifteen feet above her and a little in front of her. "I hope you aren't this lazy in your matches as you are now... that is if they take you on the team again." He winked at her and his grin turned into a smile. As much as the two of them competed, it was all in good sport. Though certainly not best friends, they were friendly rivals, and they were always pushing each other to be better. Wait, that was a bit of a lie, since James did his best not to try, he probably did a little bit more pushing with her than she accomplished. Regardless, this was looking to be an interesting practice. Marlene might even be lucky enough to get a few tips and tricks of the trade from James. [/font][/blockquote] |
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Post by marlene on Aug 10, 2011 9:03:20 GMT -6
Take me for what I am For Who I'm Meant To Be And if you Give a Damn Take Me Baby or Leave Me [/color][/font][/font] --------------------------------------------------------[/center] Marlene stretched a bit, the cool breeze was just as she needed. So was the ice cold water in her canteen. After this little break she did feel refreshed and ready to get back on the pitch to practice. After one more drink of course. She let the cool water run down her throat as she closed her eyes in content. When she closed the canteen she saw a broom zip right by her with the quaffle. She stood up immediately as a reflex and saw it was James Potter. She smirked amused and rolled her eyes. Amusement still was placed upon her features. This was exactly the practice she was looking for. Who better to practice with than the Gryffindor quidditch captain? If she was lucky he might help her become better and maybe give her some tips to improve. After all, he made captain, something Marlene had her eye on for next year. She wondered if James would give her tips on how to make Captain also, then again that might be pushing it. She would be lucky enough to get tips on how to improve her game.
She and James weren’t best friends. She only knew him through Quidditch. They had this friendly rivalry thing going on ever since she managed to take the Quaffle from him and score when they were in a Quidditch Match against each other. Their rivalry was as friendly as a friendly rivalry could even be. They pushed each other to be better and she received tips from the Quidditch Master. Some nickname she thought for him. Other than that they didn’t really hang out. She always heard awful things about him from Lily, but Marlene always thought she was being a bit overdramatic. James didn’t seem like such a bad guy as Lily made him out to be. A bit arrogant at times she had to admit, but he did have his heart in the right place. But then again, what did Marly know? She only knew him from their brief Quidditch talk.
She saw as he flew about 15 feet above her and in front of her. She looked up at the boy on the broom who was clearly challenging her to get on up there and take the Quaffle from him. To show him all the skill she had. To judge for himself whether she deserved to be on the pitch or not. Which she knew she did belong there. Even though she did have her clumsy moments on the ground, in the air she was much more smooth. It was like she was born to fly. It gave her a freedom. No regulations to hold her back. She was literally defying the laws of gravity. Which probably didn’t even exist in the Wizarding World. “I wouldn’t dare be this lazy during a match. I certainly can’t make it easy for you.” She said with a smile. She was acting as if she was an obstacle in his way during Quidditch and that she actually did give him a hard time. She was just simply trying to give him the idea that she was just as skilled as he was, maybe even better. Even though she was sure she was getting a bit too overconfident like she always did when she was being competitive.
She mounted her broom and flew up into the air so she was right at his height. They were a few feet apart. She was feeling a lot better being up around his height. She hated when people towered over her, even if they were on their brooms. “So, James. How about we have a nice friendly game? After all we both do need to practice.” She suggested with a small smile. Even though she wasn’t sure if it was what she wanted. After all, maybe she wanted to keep some skills a secret to use as a secret weapon. After all, he could always warn his team about the other player’s weaknesses and such. But then again she could do the same thing. She just had to make sure she didn’t do anything on impulse. But maybe she should show her strengths. To get advice from James about how to improve. Or maybe she was putting too much thought into this, it wasn’t that much of a big deal.
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Tag: James! =)
Words: 725
Notes: Still trying to get used to writing for her, sorry if it's bad
Lyrics: Take Me or Leave Me from Rent
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Post by James Potter on Aug 11, 2011 12:26:02 GMT -6
JAMES LIAM POTTER [/color] . Presence requested by Marlene Mckinnon.
Time: Afternoon.
Plot: Competitive attitudes and fun.[/right][/size] Marlene Mckinnon was a pretty little thing that James had kept an eye on throughout their years at school. She was a year below him, which made her an even easier target than normal, but he hadn't ever tried to push for anything more than the friendship that they carried on. She was far too sweet to just take advantage of like most of the girls he had gathered an interest for, but his feelings for Lily overwhelmed him to the point that he couldn't find it in himself to try his at a serious dating. Besides, the way that she looked at him was different than his little fan girls, which not only made her more respectable in his eyes, but it made it hard for him to read her. Then again, that never stopped him when it came to Lily Evans, but she was a completely different story in a lot of ways.
James always mocked the poor girl anyway. She had stood up by now, and was starting to talk, at which he promptly raised his hand to open and shut as if it was talking instead of her. He chuckled at her and spun once on his broom before responding in any other way. "Regardless of if you played or not, you make it just as easy to beat you, Marlie," he told her, a shit-eating grin appearing as he did so. There had been the one year that she had surprised him and stolen the Quaffle right out from underneath his arm, but that was nothing more than beginner's luck - at least in his mind. Or he wouldn't admit that she had any skill out loud to anyone but her, maybe, and even that was stretching it. He tended to hold his pride very high, which wasn't usually a problem for most of his friends, and probably even partly what made him so popular. Everyone loves a pompous prick, right?
She mounted her broom and James instinctively clutched the Quaffle much tighter so she wouldn't snatch it up from him again in order to prove any points. His grin had disappeared and a determined, watchful expression had taken its place. “So, James. How about we have a nice friendly game? After all we both do need to practice.” His serious expression faltered and he began laughing at her. He didn't mind helping her practice, but maybe it would be a better idea for her to ask for his guidance than to suggest he needed any sort of practice in the art of Quidditch - though really, he could use a game for brushing up on his skills from the summer break. Even though she had taken what seemed to him as a shot at his pride, James competitive attitude always overruled his hurt ego, and he was more than happy to take her up on the match she challenged him to.
"Alright, Marlie. Let's have a go and see what you've got... I won't take it easy on you just because you're a girl, you know that, right?" At that, he flew into the air to be even with the goals as well as right over the middle of the field. One-on-one games were never really as exhilarating as the real thing, but it would definitely be worth it to get ready for try-outs in the next couple of weeks. He wasn't going to pull out all of his stops for her, but he could surely take the time to show her up a bit, and maybe help her improve her game if she was lucky. The sun was bright and just over the middle of the field at this point, and the breeze was more than acceptable to keep them cool but not bother their throws or their brooms too much. This might just be a perfect day for a little Quidditch competition... [/font][/blockquote] |
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Post by marlene on Aug 12, 2011 9:34:24 GMT -6
Take me for what I am For Who I'm Meant To Be And if you Give a Damn Take Me Baby or Leave Me [/color][/font][/font] --------------------------------------------------------[/center] She noticed James mock her doing that pathetic little hand motion. The one that basically showed that he was ignoring what she was saying or didn’t care. But it wasn’t like Marlene to get offended. She was used to him mocking her. It was something they usually did to each other. It was just how their friendship was. If they could even consider their exchanges over the years enough to declare them friends. “I am going to slap you.” She said with a laugh at the hand motions. Her tone was very obvious that she was kidding. There was amusement dancing in her chocolate brown eyes. Of course she was only joking. She didn’t think she could slap James if she tried for many reasons. One was she could get in trouble with abusing someone physically. Two, James was taller than her and probably stronger. Hitting him would only be asking for trouble. And lastly, she knew it was all in good fun. She would leave the abusing James in the hands of Lily Evans. The girl seemed to enjoy that task more than anyone.
She raised her eyebrows at his comment and smirked as she rolled her eyes. That was just like James, to think he was the best on the field. Him saying that made her want to prove herself more. To actually steal the Quaffle away from him once or twice, get a goal by him, or block him. Show him that she was just as good as him if she really put her all into it. Which she did anyways, but now her own pride was on the line. “Hasn’t anyone ever taught you that over-confidence can lead to horrible failure?” she asked with a smile. If someone was over confident in their abilities in Quidditch it would lead them to believe they are unstoppable. Which could either cause them to slack off, try to win the game on their own, or be stunned causing them to lose time if the Quaffle is taken from them. Marlene has seen that in many people over her years in Quidditch. Marlene has even learned from her own mistakes accidently doing that also. But that was how you learn, through making mistakes. But Marly couldn’t afford mistakes in this practice. She had to do her best to beat James so she could have something to brag about to him for a change.
A small smile broke through as he used her nickname. But she immediately replaced it with a look of determination. “I know, I don’t need you to go easy on me. The whole idea of guys being better than girls and having to go easy on them is quite overrated.” She said, she couldn’t stand sexist comments. But she tried to be a bit nicer considering he didn’t mean it offensively. She felt her competitive side build up. Marly flew up higher into the air following James. She flew herself at directly the same level of height as James and got directly in front of him. Another light breeze went by helping cool her off a bit. It really was a perfect day for practice. She was quite excited for their little match, even though it would barely compare to a real match. And she was definitely not going to show him all her tricks. Maybe only one or two. She still wanted to remain Ravenclaw’s secret weapon of some sort. She couldn’t go showing off all her tricks when it didn’t even count for the cup. Their house has won the cup a couple of times and Marlene wanted to win it again for her team.
She placed her gaze at the Quaffle, refusing to take her eye off it. Even if it wasn’t going anywhere at that moment because it was safely in James’s arms. She glanced at his face quickly. “I’m ready when you are.” She stated simply getting herself pumped on the inside. “3…2…1” she counted down like the ref usually did. Once she said one the practice had officially begun…
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Tag: James! =)
Words: 678
Notes:...
Lyrics: Take Me or Leave Me from Rent
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Post by James Potter on Aug 12, 2011 12:07:46 GMT -6
JAMES LIAM POTTER [/color] . Presence requested by Marlene Mckinnon.
Time: Afternoon.
Plot: Competitive attitudes and fun.[/right][/size] Over-confidence? James didn't know the meaning of the word. His entire life revolved around his confidence. Most people called him arrogant, but the way that his parents had raised him said that it was just a hard drive to be the best, and knowing that he was. He was spoiled as a child, and even to this day he remained that way. The only reason that he still rode atop a Comet was because he was determined to prove the point that skill outmatched fancy props any day. His parents had offered to purchase the Nimbus the first day it came out, but he declined, saying his Comet had served him very well and until it failed him, he wouldn't look at another broom. The broom had kept sturdy and faithful, as best an inanimate object could, and therefore he continued to use it. He won quite a few games against teams almost full of members with the Nimbus.
"Failure? Never knew the word, but heard of its existence." He watched as she met him in center field and he bent low instinctively. The summer breeze swept over them as he stared her down, seeing that her eyes were on the Quaffle. He looked down at it and then turned his gaze back to her. He had considered just handing the ball off to her to give her a fair shot at scoring at least one time on him, but as he thought about the option, she had started speaking again. With a determined look on his face, he waited for her to finish her counting. He could almost hear the stadium roaring with cheers and jeers from their fellow students, and her countdown was just as deliberate as the referee's always was. Her eyes had never strayed from the Quaffle, ready for him to toss it up at the finishing of her final number...
"One..." she said, finishing the sequence and causing James to toss the ball high into the air. The sun caused the Quaffle to blur and disappear for a moment before it came back to his vision. During that split second of it being too high, he took one more look at Marlene, who kept focused. He smirked at her concentration and skimmed the skies again for the Quaffle's descent back toward them. He pressed himself against the broom and directed it upward, snatching the ball and ducking below her. He tucked it underneath his arm and began making a mad dash for the hoops on the opposite side. The air rushed around him, his t-shirt smacking against his body and blowing around him as he moved quickly toward his goals. Should he look back to see where his opponent was, or keep an eye on where he was heading? He ultimately decided it was best to push forward as fast as possible rather than look for her position. It was either going to be a very bad move on his part, or a very good one, only time would tell.
[sorry, not much to say in the Quidditch posts. I never want to god-mode my way through Quidditch, but they're some of the hardest posts to make, in my opinion] [/font][/blockquote] |
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