Audrey Maxwell

Audrey, Tom and two other members of Lagedibe's Quiddich team were sitting on the benches of the big field watching the Quodpot team's practice. Malfoy was well used to have Audrey watching his Sunday practice every two weeks, learning new flying tricks she could borrow.

"Look at the way Simmons moves," Audrey pointed out.

"Audrey, we know how Simmons moves, we've seen him a million times." said a sleepy voice owned by Maror Bacharman; a well built wizard, that along with Audrey and Luke, formed the undefeatable chasers trio of the team. "There is no point whatsoever getting here two hours before our practice to watch Malfoy blow up".

As if waiting for the cue, another Quod just blew up. Malfoy flew next to the sooted 7^th year that held the ex-ball, and informed her in quite a warning manner, that there are three substitutes looking less like a lump of coal than she is. He also reminded her that the blackest player at the end of the practice is the one left with the cleaning duty of the field from all the blown Quods leftovers.

"We wouldn't want to give Maxwell a massy field, now would we?" he asked a bit louder for Audrey to hear. Audrey rolled her eyes and Maror suppressed a giggle. "Did I make myself clear, Tanya?" asked Malfoy harshly.

"Yes Capt'n," answered Tanya and accelerated again to join the rest of the team.

Malfoy threw a quick look to Audrey and soared to the air to watch his team try and get the Quod to the big yellow basket before it blew up.

Tom was fascinated by the game. Audrey was almost amazed at the amount of concentration her brother had. For more than a hundred minutes he was staring at the players; stopping only to change thoughts with the others about one move or another, and to rest his eyes when Malfoy gave his team a couple minutes' break.

Maror and Luke, on the other hand, were more interested in each other than the game. The only reason they came to what they referred to as 'Malfoy's weekly show' was their love to Audrey and the fact that she came banging on their doors when they didn't come. A little act that made their roommates excessively angry, and made them accept the verdict and don't miss, almost completely, the two hours of sleep they left behind every second Sunday. They were also used to the fact that the three oldest members of the team weren't required to attend 'Malfoy's weakly show', simply because they were bigger and Audrey couldn't jinx them quite as easily.

"Don't even think about ditching us tonight," said Maror.

"You know I don't fit in there," said Luke, "it's a place for cool people, not someone like me."

On the field, Luke felt like he's something special, the undefeatable chasers. At the moment they kicked off the ground and soured to the air on their brooms he was royalty, he knew what the other two were thinking, where they were, what's their next move; he didn't have to look at them to know. That was his place, on his broom, in the air. Not in the Chimaera.

"Don't you want to see Daniel?" Maror tried a different approach. "Come on, the guy's a legend, and we have the privilege of seeing him on stage. You've got to come."

"Bach," said Luke decisively, "I'm not coming."

"Ok, suit yourself," said Maror. "But don't come to me later complaining you have no life"

"He really does have no life, you know," said a cool female voice.

"Coming from you Maggie, it's almost funny."

"Oh, shut up Hemtan!" said Maggie, getting annoyed.

"Come on," Hertman continued, "You're an 8^th year, playing silly broomstick games and you can't dress to save your life!"

"I play the same silly game you do-" said Maggie

"But you don't get to hit anything." Hemtan interrupted, waving his bat.

"And if you call that dressing," Maggie continued and pointed at Hemtan, "than I'm proud to be a fashion disaster."

"What?" Hemtan sounded almost insulted. He was wearing a normal pair of dark grey sweatpants, a white t-shirt and a black tie. If that wasn't the best possible way to dress for any sports practice, he didn't know what was.

"So!" Maggie said and sat next to Audrey. "How's it going?" she asked in a fake enthusiasm. "Who's winning?"

Audrey poked Maggie side with her elbow and kept watching the practice. Maggie White was Audrey's keeper. She had long wavy brown hair she always wore in a massy ponytail, and a slightly full built. She was a year older than Audrey and always acted like her big sister. She always said that her job was to keep both Audrey and the ball safe. She never quite understood why Audrey kept coming to see Malfoy's practice after she dumped him, and found it very amusing to constantly remind her that the two hours of sleep she was missing always had the best dreams.

Hemtan Elgantie was a year older than Maggie. He was eighteen two months ago and was about to graduate from Lagedibe as the summer vacation started in a few week's time. He hated everything American and therefore decided to practice his flying in the least American game he could find; giving Audrey a great beater she felt very sorry she must replace.

Along with Maggie and Hemtan came to the field a short guy with stiff face, little black eyes covered by small glasses and very impressive arm muscles. Bruce Swanson seemed a bit frightening carrying his bat with his serious expression. He didn't talk much, and smiled a lot less, but he was a good player and Audrey knew she couldn't ask for better than that to her team.

Luke and Maror greeted their three teammates and waited for the Quodpot practice to end so they can stretch their muscles a bit.

Audrey, on her part, kept watching closely as Malfoy passed five players and secured the Quod in the basket when it only started smoking.

"Tom," she said and looked at her brother. His eyes were fixed on the field, watching Malfoy point at the formation of the five players he just passed, explaining something they couldn't hear.

"I saw it," said Tom, "Woollongong Shimmy."

"Can you do it?" Audrey looked at her brother hopefully.

"I can try." he said, thinking about the quick velocity and direction changes required for the perfect zig-zagging movement Malfoy just performed.

"The guy can fly," stated Luke, rather unnecessarily seeing that all of them were quite aware of that fact.

"I bet he can do lots of other stuff too," said Maggie with a naughty smile.

"He's an asshole," said Audrey and finished the argument. While Maror, Luke and Hemtan laughed quietly.

"MIKE PASS THE FUCKING QUOD!!!" Malfoy's shouts brought their attention back to the practice, just in time to see another Quod blows up, this time in midair. Audrey followed one piece of lather with her eyes, and saw it land safely on the grass.

Malfoy's shouting were replaced with a dramatized eye-rolling followed by him lying back on his broom, free diving, stopping himself mere inches from the ground, in a demonstration of great talent.

He waited until the other thirteen landed on the ground and started his usual end-of-practice speech.

"Twenty blew up, seven in the baskets." Tom informed them, concluding this morning's game. "Not a bad practice"

"Malfoy's a good coach," said Hemtan.

"Hemtan, he makes them cry. They'd rather die than cause him to lose a match, they're scarred of him."

"I didn't say you weren't," said Hemtan, explaining himself. "You two have different approaches. You know you're the best at what you do, but so is he"

"Well, instead of praising that cabbage-head it'll be much more effective if you think about a way to block that woollongong if anybody tries that on us," said Audrey, not wanting to get into the subject of Malfoy, again.

"Come on, Audrey," said Maror, "our defense formation is perfect. No one can penetrate it."

"Care to test that bold statement of yours?" Malfoy's voice came from right beneath them. Audrey looked down. Dewsag Malfoy was standing there, all pleased with himself after a good practice, willing to show her he's still better than her.

All of them looked at Audrey. Malfoy just challenged her and they were most interested to know what she'll do.

"Ok," she said finally, "what do you suggest?"

"Simmons, Kleavs and myself against your legendary chasers trio." Malfoy knew quite a lot about Quiddich compared to other Quodpot captains. It was one of the consequences of five months' relationship with Audrey.

"The goal?" asked Audrey.

"Getting the ball," he gestured to the Quod in his hand, "in the basket. It won't blow up"

"Do you mind if I look for the Snitch in the meantime?" asked Tom.

"Not at all, kido," said Malfoy and smiled at the blond boy.

Three minutes after, the seven of them were in the air. Tom was already looking for the snitch; Luke and Maror were beside Audrey thinking up their strategy while Malfoy Kleavs and Simmons were couple of feet apart waiting for them to start.

Audrey gave Malfoy a nod and he threw the ball in the air, in the middle of the field. Maror and Luke shot upwards while Audrey flew to the center and caught the Quod. She held a Quod before, but never on the field, never on her broom. It felt weird, like stepping into your room after somebody else had lived there. She was flying upwards and a bit to the right, getting closer to the basket. She threw the ball to what seemed to be Simmons' direction, but Luke came from above him and caught the Quod.

Simmons got the trick right away and flew tight to Luke's left. Audrey accelerated and flew under Luke, preparing for him to drop the ball; Malfoy was less than a foot beneath her.

Luke threw the ball right in front of him, as if trying to get it in the basket, Kleavs caught the ball with his right hand, but when he looked to the front he saw Maror right in front of him and had to change direction quickly giving Audrey the chance to easily snatch the ball. She broke to the left, getting away from Malfoy and Simmons while Kleavs stayed close to the basket, monitoring Maror.

Malfoy and Simmons closed down on her from both sides; Luke was beneath her, ready to receive the ball. Audrey knew that if she drops it now Simmons will catch it. She shot upwards hoping to sake the two guys off, but they were both faster than her and caught up too quickly.

She did a loop in the air and changed her flight direction. She was now flying towards Malfoy's basket. Malfoy was on her right and Simmons on her left. She flew to the right pushing Malfoy to the side, just enough to drop the ball Luke that was still under her. But Luke was too far, and Simmons too fast and he caught the ball. Audrey felt Malfoy break away and fly upwards to receive the ball from Simmons. How the hell did he get there so fast?

They were in the middle of the field and Malfoy was now flying fast to Audrey's basket.

"DEFENCE!" Audrey shouted and flew as fast as she could to block Malfoy. But he was couple of feet in front of her and faster than her. He was closing on the basket before any of them could reach it, but than he jerked his head to the right, he seemed confused and so were Simmons and Kleavs. But Audrey knew what it was; he probably heard the Snitch buzzing in his ear. Not three seconds later Tom was zooming next to him, chasing the small golden ball, throwing Malfoy off his balance. Audrey smiled. That was a move she practiced with her chasers to perfection. At the smallest sign of the opponent's confusion, Luke was flying beneath him, almost touching him. Audrey and Maror were flying at his sides, causing him to drop the ball. Luke caught it and threw it to Audrey less than a second before Simmons reached him. Audrey threw it to Maror who threw it back to Audrey who passed it to Luke. All three of them were flying close to each other, acceleration and slowing down to shake the other three players off, and keep passing the ball to each other.

And than, as if reacting to an invisible mark, all three of them shot to the sides in different direction, continuing to fly towards Malfoy's basket.

"Who has the Quod?!" asked Malfoy in a scream. They were passing the ball too quickly to notice.

Luke was flying straight to the basket, Simmons and Kleavs decided to target him and were closing him in him. Audrey saw that and turned left, passing them and turned towards the basket from the other side. She wished she had a Bludger to hit Malfoy that flew right on her tail.

Both Audrey and Luke suddenly shot down at the same time, trying to shake of Malfoy's team, still not letting them understand which one of them has the Quod. But than Audrey threw the ball to Maror, that flew right above her. All the others were flying down, none of them able to change direction fast enough to stop Maror from scoring.

Maggie and Hemtan cheered loudly and got up from the seats, along with Bruce, to start their own practice Audrey looked at the Tom and discovered he caught the Snitch a minute or two before they scored. That was a great beginning for today's practice. Malfoy came over to shake her hand.

"Good one Maxwell," he said and smiled.

Audrey stared at him, highly displeased, knowing that without the Snitch interrupting, it would have turned out different.

"Ok guys!" she said, "Release the balls and let's make some Quiddich!"

The practice went well. All of the seven thought so. They practiced their maneuvers, flying techniques, control over the balls and different moves they had against each of the six other teams they had to play.

Audrey was very satisfied with her team. They all sat down, exchanging tips and compliments after the practice, and congratulating Tom for catching the Snitch seven times during the practice. After a while Audrey felt the topic of the conversation starting to drift off the practice, a clear sign that all that was worth discussing was already brought up and the practice was officially over. Well, almost everything worth discussing, she reminded herself.

"We need a new Beater," she said mostly to herself, but loud enough for the rest to hear.

"We'll find one, girl," said Maggie.

"Yeah, I can already see the lineup for the trials." Audrey smiled sadly, and all of them could feel the clear atmosphere of an unavoidable end.

"We'll fine one!" said Bruce decisively and they all turned around to look at him. When ever Bruce talked it was sure to be something of importance.

"See?" asked Maggie with a smile. "Now if you don't mind I have a Sunday to catch," she said and got up. "You coming?" she asked Hemtan.

"Yes ma'am!" said Hemtan and jumped to his feet.

Audrey walked back to her room, put her broom back in the cupboard, and sat on her bed. Clio was still sleeping and Lucritia was long gone. Audrey lied back and closed her eyes for just a second.