(Q.Pitch) Practice Makes Perfect

[Maria Turolia]

Maria walked out onto the quidditch pitch with her broom in hand. It was early; the sun had just risen, and she knew that there was no chance that anyone would be practicing. Almost everyone would be in the Great Hall eating breakfast, or just waking up. This she had found was the perfect time of day for her own quiet flying practice time. Although, she came out here more to get away from everything and have quiet time than to practice.

Taking a deep breath of the crisp, cool morning air, Maria closed her eyes and sighed. Opening her eyes, she smiled slightly, looking around to be sure she was alone, despite the fact she knew it was too early for anybody else to be out on the pitch. She set her broom carefully on the ground; she couldn't risk hurting something that was so important to her. Suddenly, she ran across the field a few yards. Stopping just as suddenly as she had started, she laid down on the ground and stared up at the blue sky, giggling for no other reason than she was happy. She was inexplicably joyful.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bray roughly pulled his gloves on, he was pretty mad. That morning he'd been gathering his quidditch things since he decided that he was going to go out and practice a little bit since it could do nothing but help him. But then Shafer just had to go on about how he was better, oh he would show him. Challenge was in men's DNA and a challenge is what he suggested.

And now he was getting ready and walking across the ground with his arm guards on, school robes, and broom feeling pretty dumb. He didn't even know if any of the teams had it for now, but he did know that the Ravenclaws didn't. When he walked in and saw a broom sitting.

Bray glanced around for it's owner and saw someone laying in the middle of the field. He instantly got the impression that they fell and were hurt. He placed his broom down before rushing over and seeing it was a Hufflepuff girl he'd seen a few times but never talked to. "Um, are you ok down there?" He asked, not knowing how else to phrase it.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria stopped laughing and her eyes got wide at the sound of the voice. Why in the world was someone else out on the pitch this early in the morning? Above her stood a Ravenclaw boy who she had seen around, but had never spoken to. How embarrassing! He had not been out there before she did something to make a complete fool of herself.

Maria sat up and then pushed herself up off the ground to stand in front of him. "I'm fine," she said, still happy, but not giggling any longer. "You'll have to excuse me. I was feeling a bit too energetic this morning," she said smiling, despite the embarrassment she felt. She knew she was blushing which didn't happen often and she wished it would stop.

"Thanks for your concern, though," Maria said, looking over to where she knew she had left her broom. "I'm Maria, by the way. Maria Turolia. And you are?" she asked curiously. She thought the boy was in a lower year, but from the looks of him he couldn't really be much younger than she was.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn moved back a bit as she got back, obvious he had embarrassed her and he wasn’t meant to see her little giggling moment on the ground. “Oh, sorry, it’s just you looked.. I don’t know. It was my fault for assuming.” He said, trying to justify himself a little but he was also trying to take a little bit of the embarrassment from her. Bray was a little embarrassed too that if he saw someone lying on the pitch he’d immediately think they were hurt. Nice observation skills he had.. not.

“It’s ok, though. Everyone has their random moments. And I’m Bradyn, Bradyn Reed.” He said. Ah, Maria that was her name. He couldn’t really remember since he’s heard her talking in a few of her classes, but he never really paid attention. What was she, a 6th year or something? She didn’t look much older than him. “So, what are you doing out here this early too? Practicing, I’m guessing?”

[Maria Turolia]

Maria could feel the red tint fading from her face as the embarrassment went away. She raised an eyebrow at the boy as he tried to justify himself. She didn't understand why he was doing it; he had done nothing that required justification. But, deciding not to question she shrugged and went on.

"Bradyn, huh? I like it. It's a good name," Maria said with a nod. "Yeah, I have actually been coming out early to practice quite a bit here lately. I wouldn't want my skills to lessen due to disuse," she said with a smile. It was early, and she had never before seen anyone come out to practice this early since she had started.

"Personally, I love early morning practice time. It relaxes me for the day ahead. So, you a morning person, too?" Maria asked with a small smile. She was usually found roaming the halls at night, but was still usually one of the first up and ready for the day.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn realized he was ranting a bit and decided to quiet and let the girl speak for herself. “Thanks.” He said when she complimented his name. “Ah, really? It’s odd that we haven’t met here before. What position do you practice?” He asked, since he knew he wouldn’t be able to practice by himself. But, what position other than Seeker could practice by themselves?

Bray shrugged a bit. He was slowly becoming a morning person since he got up early to do his homework and make lesson plans for his private tutoring. He never really noticed how he’d gotten to get up early without being overly tired. “A bit, but not out of choice would be the way to put it.”

[Maria Turolia]

Maria shrugged answering him,"Well, I'm a beater, so I usually just practice my flying and aiming the bludger to go where I want it to." It was difficult to practice alone; without a someone to hit a bludger at, Maria was much less motivated. She did make due, though, by just trying to get it to go where she wanted. It wasn't an easy task bending a bludger to your will.

She smiled a bit. A morning person, without a choice, meant that this boy probably led a busy life full of responsibilities and such. Maria always tried to keep her schedule free. She never cared much for always having something to do. "Well, the early bird catches the worm, or so they say."

[Bradyn Reed]

"Ah, a beater. That's not a bad one for practicing by yourself. Keeper's near impossible." Bray managed it barely. He could control the ball with a bit of wandless magic he picked up from his older sisters, but it was pretty hard to concentrate on keeping the charm going and being the keeper at the same time. Those training sessions were not usually as effective as practicing with a team was.

"Aye, that's what's said. But I guess that's not so true when you go to breakfast after practicing and get slim pickings." He laughed a bit, knowing he should practice a little later so he could grab something before going out, or stop at the kitchens and ask the elves for something. Maybe he'd do that next time, they're always friendly down there.. unless teachers catch you, that is.

[Maria Turolia]

"I would imagine," Maria said with a smile. "It would be kinda hard to keep a ball from going into the goal, when no one's throwing it." She thought for a moment. A keeper, that probably meant that he had to be patient, attentive, and focused. She herself preferred to be in the middle of the action, being a hindrance for the other team.

"True. I don't know, I usually skip breakfast and come straight out here, sometimes even earlier than this. I quite enjoy it," she said with a smile. Remembering her broom, Maria walked past Bradyn, to go get it. Turning around and walking backwards she said, "If you need some help practicing, I would be more than willing. I get plenty of practice as is. But I warn you I'm a terrible chaser." Reaching the spot where her broom was, Maria bent down and picked it up. She stood looking at Bradyn waiting for his reply.

[Bradyn Reed]

"Yeah, that would be the trouble right there." He said, laughing a bit. Practicing by himself could be quite relaxing, even if all he did was do a few laps and work on his handling and diving. Those were important too, and he usually wouldn't get time to work on them during team practices.

When she went to get his broom he took a few steps before he summoned his own, careful that it would avoid hitting Maria before it flew into his hand. "I guess we could, but I don't see how a beater could make a bad chaser." A beater did have to work up their strength afterall, which would mean she'd probably specialize in fast and hard throws. That's where Bray lacked, his eyes not able to detect the quaffle fast enough on fast throws.

[Maria Turolia]

"Oh, you will see how a beater can make a terrible chaser," Maria said mounting her broom. Kicking off, she hovered a few feet above the ground, carefully balancing. "Grab a quaffle and come on," she said. Quickly she darted off to the other end of the field.

She flew around the pitch as she waited for him to be ready. She realized that her hair was flying behind her. It wasn't easy to practice with her hair getting in the way. Flying over to one of the sets of hoops, she stopped. She quickly threw her hair up into the neatest ponytail she could and waited for Bradyn to get up their.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn smirked and laughed a bit, still doubting that Maria would be that bad of a chaser, I mean, she didn't even have to chase anyone in a Chaser-keeper practice. "Wouldn't it be more fair for me to play with a handicap too?" He said, deciding that he would catch right-handed, since Bray himself was left-handed. He quickly went over to the equipment and pulled out a quaffle then tucked it under his arm. It would be the first time he'd practiced with someone else in a while.

Mounting his broom, Bray quickly soared up by the goal posts. "Alright, I got the quaffle." He said before tossing it to her, hoping that she'd catch it.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria reached out and grabbed the quaffle as it reached her, only to have it slip through her fingers. Rolling her eyes, she dived down after the quaffle grabbing it up quickly a few feet below where they had been before she fumbled with it. Getting back up to where Bradyn was, Maria smiled. "See what I mean, terrible chaser. Catching isn't my strong suit."

She looked at the three hoops and at then at Bradyn. "Here goes nothing," she said unsure. It felt strange holding the quaffle; she was so accustomed to having a bat instead. Taking aim at the middle hoop, Maria threw quaffle with great force. It had speed and probably wouldn't have been easy to stop, but it went a few feet to the side of the hoop instead of at it. Her aim was horrible when throwing. "That doesn't make a lot of sense," she said with a sigh. "I have no problem aiming when I'm trying to hit a bludger at someone. Oh well, I told you wasn't a good chaser."

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn tried not to laugh, maybe he was wrong about the assumption that all beaters were good chasers. But in his mind it made sense. None-the-less Bray positioned himself in front of the center hoop and waited for her to throw.

It came easily to him with a bit of speed but laughed a bit when it went more to the middle of the hoops that in one, and went to go get it. "Ok, I see what you mean now. Maybe you could aim bludgers at me and I could deflect those with a bat? Like.. catch but.. not." The idea just sounded plain dangerous to him, but at the same time it sounded fun. Boys minds were just built that way, danger only appeared to them after it happened.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria wasn't surprised by the boy's laughter. She was a miserable chaser, and she knew that. At his suggestion, she smiled wickedly. "Sounds, like a good idea to me, as long as you can deflect them." Without another word, Maria went down to get a bludger and two bats.

Gathering up the supplies as quickly as she could, she mounted her broom and headed back up. Reaching Bradyn she handed him the bat. "Here ya go," she said with a bright smile. Keepers weren't as often the target of bludgers as other people, so Maria hoped that even if he couldn't deflect it that he could duck. She went away from him holding the bludger tightly. "Tell me when you're ready," she said. She figured it might take him a minute to get used to the feel of the bat. Maria was definately going to have to take it easy on this boy, for the first few times at least.