{open} One step ahead

[quof1]

Kingsley gripped his Broomstick tightly as he made his way towards the quidditch field. Ravenclaw wouldn't be playing until after the Gryffindor/Syltherin game, but he didn't see how getting an early start could hurt. He'd come early in the morning though to hopefully ensure that he wouldn't run into anyone's possible Saturday practice.

That may have been his excuse, but the truth was was that he'd missed flying way too much. His family lived in close proximity to muggles, so he hardly ever found time to fly outside of school. It had been a lot easier in Africa, since it wasn't as crowded and it was easier to avoid other people, but a lot of things had been easier in Africa.

A lot of people couldn't understand how the normally bookish Kingsley could have made it on the quidditch team. This was his first year on the team and no one had seen him play yet. There were a lot of people that were already pressuring him to do well, or else. It didn't help that the other beater, Gwenog Jones, was superb. But he'd already accepted that he wasn't going to fill her shoes and it didn't really bother him as much as people thought it did. Quidditch was his escape, escape from stress and homework and all his worries about the future of the world. Flying was like freedom, and he wasn't going to let anyone tamper with that feeling.

He had finally reached the Quidditch field, he glanced around to see if anyone was there. It wouldn't be a big deal if anyone was, but he was going to try out a few tricks today and he'd prefer that no one would be here to witness a possible epic fail. Seeing no one he prepared to mount his broom, when he thought he heard someone coming up behind him. He spun around, wondering who else could be coming at this hour.

[aliali]

With his homework finally finished and out of the way, Reg decided to head down to the pitch for a well deserved break. He was fed up of school already. He'd reached the point where it all just seemed so repetitive and... boring. When would the professors shut up about their OWLs? It wasn't like their exams were this year.

Outside, Reg let the cool air chill his skin and breathed in deeply. He missed Quidditch and flying. Even now he didn't understand why there'd been such a delay in starting up the matches. He was aching to get back onto the pitch and feel the thrill and adrenaline that came with each game.

Well, if there weren't any team practices yet then he was going to practice on his own. At least being seeker he didn't have to worry about what the other players were doing too much.

Reg grabbed his broom and headed out but to his surprise he found his wasn't alone. The other person held a broom, which suggested he was here to fly but... Reg looked at him - since when had Shacklebolt been on the Ravenclaw team?

[quof1]

Well, well, well, Regulus Black. The Blacks were one of those families that acted like they owned the world, and from what he'd seen Regulus was no different. He folded his arms across his chest. Regulus was on the Slytherin Quidditch team, so did that mean they had practice today? He hoped not, and not just because they would mean the quidditch field been booked. There were a couple of other people of the team who Kingsley couldn't stand , and he could barely tolerate most of them. He kept his face devoid of emotion, though there was a certain tightness in his jaw that gave him away.

"What are you doing here, Black?"He asked coldly, not taking his eyes off the other guy. Despite his coolness there was a challenging note in his voice he was sure the other guy could detect, and his stance was tense and coiled. He wasn't normally the one to fight, and he didn't know if Regulus was either, but it seemed to him there were some slytherins who would hex you simply for looking at them wrong.

He couldn't help but feel a little angry. Why did he have to choose now of all times to head down? Kingsley wanted to fly, alone. He wouldn't be able to do what he wanted now, not with a possibly hostile witness.

[aliali]

There was no mistaking the challenging tone or the tense jaw of the the other boy as he asked what Reg was doing there. In his mind he was mentally rolling his eyes. When turning up at the Quidditch pitch with a broom in hand there was generally only one thing that people came here to do, which made him tensely asked question a bit pointless, but Regulus wasn't in the mood for conflicts today. All he wanted to do was go for a few laps of the pitch and chase the snitch about a bit, and get himself back in the swing of things.

"The same reason you are I'm guessing." Reg frowned slightly and looked around the pitch before shrugging his shoulders. "It's not like this pitch isn't big enough for the both of us to fly in."

He had no doubt that he was the last person that Shacklebolt would want to be on the pitch with and being honest, Reg could think of better people he'd want to be there with too, but at the end of it, he just wanted to fly around a bit. He really didn't care if the other boy was there too. Looking back over him again Reg could feel his brows pulling together. Shacklebolt was definitely new to the Ravenclaw team... "What position are you now?"

[quof1]

He could tell Black thought he was a little dull, but he didn’t care. He’d gotten his answer, there was in fact no practice today. He felt relief sweep through him and his body and demeanor instantly relaxed. He let go of his wand and let his hand fall limply at his side.

Kingsley knew his was right, but that didn’t change his feelings about someone else being there while he flew. There’s was nothing he could do about it though, and if there was one thing Kingsley wasn’t it was whiner. So he pushed it from his mind and tried to keep any hostility off his face. He definitely wasn’t looking for a fight, and was even making an effort to be civil. The least Kingsley could do was return the favor.

“Beater.” He answered. Civil didn’t mean friendly, so his tone was rather formal. Even if Regulus Black was being decent, he was still a Slytherin and a Black, who were notorious for their aggressive behavior towards anyone who didn’t have the purest of blood.

“You’re seeker right?” He felt obligated to return a comment of some kind, however meaningless it might be.

[aliali]

It was hard to miss the obvious relief when Shacklebolt realized that no, he wasn't about to get swarmed by the rest of the Slytherin team all coming out for practice. Heck, they hadn't had a single one yet! Which of course, was why Reg was at the pitch now. He was sick of waiting.

A beater? Well it made sense. From what he could remember most of the Ravenclaw team the year before had been quite young, with only one or two plays in 6th/7th year. And wasn't the 7th year a beater? So yeah, it made sense that they needed a new one. Shacklebolt though? The two of them had been in lessons together over the years and Reg had never really got the impression that he was much of a flying type. Well, it wouldn't be the first time he'd misjudged someone.

He nodded. "Still a seeker. Some little second year thought she'd be able to beat me off the team this year." He sniggered at the memory. While they hadn't had any team practices yet, they'd had tryouts, and the image of a small, freckled girl with blonde plaits holding a broom taller than her was one of the key things Reg could remember from the day. She'd put up a good fight and argued to the bitter end about why she should be a seeker, but it battle had been a pointless, albeit amusing, one for all who witnessed it.

Being honest, he didn't really know why he'd mentioned it. It was clear that Shacklebolt had only asked out of obligation, rather than any real desire to have a conversation with him. It probably all came down to his name and who he was, but honestly? Reg really didn't care to start fights randomly or to insult and mock other students like a lot of other Slytherins did. He sure wasn't about to go around making friends with everyone, but he wasn't about to make enemies out of them either.

Reg looked out over the pitch again. "So..." A beater and a seeker? So Reg was going to fly around after a snitch and Shacklebold was...? Hopefully not going to lob a dozen bludgers at his head - but he thought it might be best to clear that point up before they started flying. "About those bludgers..?"

[/justify]

[quof1]

Kingsley nodded and his mouth turned up a little in reply, but it was all out of formality. Black was acting like he wanted a legitimate conversation, when Kingsley was sure that they both just wanted to get this over with and head out on the pitch and pretend the other didn't exist. But maybe Regulus Black was one of those people who couldn't help socializing, except that didn't seam likely.

Kingsley followed his train of thought with a chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll save that for the match." He realized after he said it that it probably sounded kind of threatening, but he hadn't meant it that way. He'd been trying to match the mood while reassuring Black that his life was not in danger. Hadn't worked out to well.

"I mean, you don't have to worry about that." He said, more serious this time around. He had been mostly intending to fly, but he had brought his beater's bat, as well as a Bludger. He pulled the ball out from under his arm and held it out for Black to see. "It looks like a Bludger, and technically it is one but..." He let it go and it began zooming lazily around him for a minute before snatching it.

"As you can see, it's not—charmed to try to knock people out of the air." He twirled it around in his hand a minute, "My parents gave it to me after I made the team." He grinned, "I think they were worried I'd sneak a real one home and let it go in the hose or something." Again with the random friendly chatter, and this time Kingsley was the one doing it. He shook his head, the sooner they got moving the better, before things got really strange.

[aliali]

"Don't worry, I'll save that for the match."

Reg raised an eyebrow in query. Was that a threat? Probably not, though had it been any other of his teammates that Shacklebolt was faced with it would have been taken that way. Instead, Reg just shook his head and laughed slightly. "I guess that means I'll have to turn up to your game against Hufflepuff after all. Wouldn't want to enter the match without a heads up."

Shacklebolt cleared things up and assured him that he wasn't about to start lobbing bludgers off his head and Reg nodded. He watched as the other boy pulled a bludger from his pocket and explain the story behind it. The grin on Shacklebolts face seemed genuine, and Reg couldn't help the one on his own when it brought back similar memories. "Mine got me one of those fake snitches that don't go more than a few foot off the ground. I don't think they wanted to risk me shattering my mother's fine chandeliers." Reg had to roll his eyes. The things were hideous. "I almost wish I'd done it anyway."

Maybe this was a little bit too social between them. It was almost strange now he really thought about it. Shaking his head with a grin he shifted his hold on his broom and took a few steps past Shacklebolt before stopping and turning back to face him. "You know Shacklebolt? You're not half bad."

Reg climbed onto his broom and searched his pockets for the snitch he'd hid there. At least this was a proper one and not the pointless one that his parents gave him the other year. If there was one thing that he didn't think that he'd have been doing today, it was talking nice with Kingsley Shacklebolt. But, this was definitely a better alternative to one or both of them landing up in the hospital wing.

[/justify]

[quof1]

Kingsley couldn't find anything else to contribute to the conversation than a few nods and "yeahs." He could count the number of times he had an encounter with a slytherin that hadn't ended in threats, insults and/or hexes on one hand. So he figured he'd better not push his luck.

It was even stranger to get his approval, sort of. He shrugged, feeling a little wrong-footed by all this, but he still managed a smile and a small chuckle.

"I could say the same thing about you black." His tone was friendly enough, but his face was still carefully reserved. Just because he didn't hate him didn't mean he was about to get all buddy buddy with him. He was pretty sure the reason Regulus Black still though he was partly bad was because of his defense of muggles and muggleborns. The blacks were notorious for their prosecution of anyone who had a lesser blood status, well all accept for that one bloke in Grffyindor who's name he couldn't quite remember but who he thought played quidditch and might even been Regulus's older brother.

Needless to say he was more than ready to get out and fly before this got any weirder. he swung his leg over and kicked off from the ground. He wouldn't be able to try out a lot of the things he'd been hoping to with him their, but he'd still be able to get some practice in.

he found that he was strangely self-conscious. He'd never felt nervous when flying before, not even at tryouts. But he wanted to make a good impression. he was so preoccupied with all this that he'd didn't see the goal until in was few feet in front of him. he managed to avoid it, but very clumsily and he almost slid off his broom. He cursed and zoomed off in the other direction. so much for good impressions.

[nightsarabande]

Elisabetta was bored.

When she was bored, she usually felt like grabbing a broomstick and flying it. When she felt like flying around, she usually trotted out to the Quidditch pitch. Today was no exception.

Having recognized that she was completely bored out of her mind, Elisabetta grabbed her broom and headed outside, certain that she was going to be alone at the stadium; after all, she reasoned, it was very rarely that she ever saw anyone else at the pitch at that time of day. Little did she know, but she was about to come face to face with--

"Kingsley Shacklebolt." she growled, glaring up at the sky. "And Regulus Black. Isn't this a treat?" Without hesitation, she mounted her broom and kicked off, climbing until she was level with Kingsley.

"All right there, Kingsley?" she asked, a mocking tone in her voice. "Oh, hi Regulus." Elisabetta added, nodding at the other Slytherin before turning back to Kingsley. "Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you here so early in the morning. I was under the impression you'd be in the Great Hall giving the Muggles lessons on how to try to stand up to their superiors."

[quof1]

He flew pretty well after that one embarassing mess up, and after a while he was able to forget the other person was there and just enjoy the freedom of flying. Then he caught movement out of the corner and he turned to see someone else had come and was now level with him.

It was Elisabetta Domenici, a Slytherin who walked around on students of non-magical descent as if they were garbage. They'd had more than a few run ins and none of them had ended well. Needless to say he knew this conversation would be nothing like the one he had just had with Black. he spun his broom toward her. he didn't say anything in reply, but fixed her with a cold stare, his hands gripped tightly around his broom.

His jaw clenched at her words and his hands shifted agitation along his broom. But he lifted his head and replied in a low, cool voice, "They don't need the help." Underneath his words was the familiar jolting anger he felt every time he had to deal with these people. When he'd first come to Hogwarts he'd been sickened by this type of thinking, but years of exposure had dulled his reaction. But not his passion.

"And you might want to check the definition of 'superior' because the last time I checked that word didn't apply to you." His voice took on a slightly more provocative edge, but he still remained rather guarded. he knew he should be careful with her, for she a year older than him and would lash out viciously when provoked, but he couldn't like her get away with a comment like that.

[nightsarabande]

Elisabetta laughed. "You're always so original, aren't you. 'The last time I checked, that word didn't apply to you'. Give it up, Kingsley." she said, then did a loop-the-loop just for the fun of it before speaking to him again. "Are you aiming to be the next Minister of Magic or something? The sort that clamps down on people who can't stand Mudbloods--oh, I'm sorry, that would be Muggles, wouldn't it?--for one reason or another? How can you live with yourself, welcoming all of these Muggles and blood traitors into--oh what now?" she asked, as a familiar owl landed on her shoulder just then. She took the letter that was attached to its leg, then opened it up and read it...

"What?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "What do they mean, they...but I...not now, I'm not ready for this..." Her face turned white as she looked up from the letter. "I need to get to Hogsmeade." she muttered, looking frantically around. "This can't wait; they can't come on to Hogwarts grounds...I've got to go there...she murmured, scratching at her left arm.

Elisabetta looked at Kingsley again, her face stony. "I hope you're happy now, Shacklebolt. Seems like the Ministry's decided to pull some more raids." she hissed. "I've got to get to Hogsmeade!" she exclaimed, turning round and flying straight at the castle, landing just outside the door and opening it. She made a beeline for the dungeons, toward the Slytherin common room, where she looked to see when the next Hogsmeade weekend was. Still and all, she wondered if it was wise to wait that long, after what she'd just read in the letter. The question was, how was she going to sneak off of the Hogwarts grounds without being seen?

[quof1]

Kingsley gave her a look of mixed irritation and confusion. Since when did he care about originality? he'd merely been attacking her statement, thought apparently it hadn't been effective. But nothing was effective enough to penetrate the thick skulls of the Slytherin dark-agers. Except curses.

It took everything he had not to curse her then too, and not because he was afraid of her retaliation, even though he probably should have been. There was a good chance he would knock her off her broom and he wasn't cruel enough to do that to anyone, no matter how much they might deserve it. If she kept talking though, he might just forget that little standard.

"The only way I can I live myself it to defend them, whether they have magical blood or not." One of the reasons he was particularly hated among the slytherins is that he didn't just push for equality among muggleborns, but muggles also.

he watched her exchange with the owl with an almost vulture-like expression. What could possibly be so distressing? He barely heard her when she spoke to him, to focused on catching the words she was mumbling under her breath. Something about not being ready and Hogwarts grounds. And the she said something about the ministry conducting raids. His eyebrows knitted together as he put the pieces together, not that not had been that hard. This girl should learn to keep her mouth shut.

He'd long suspected that the Slytherins smuggled in a lot of dark objects, it would explain how they could wreak so much havoc without getting caught. It looks like little miss haughty fell under that category. His lips curled up in a satisfied smile, maybe some of them would finally get what they deserved.

"Fly fast Honey!" he shouted with contemptuous glee, though he was not sure she heard him.

[aliali]

There was only so much talking nice with a Ravenclaw that he could take before he started feeling a bit weird, so he was glad to finally get off the ground and into the air. He noted that Shacklebolt had also hit the air at the same time, but Reg paid little attention to him as he circled the pitch a few times, picking up some speed and the warming up by diving low to the ground then back up again as he continued his rounds.

Whatever the other guy was doing, he didn't pay attention. He didn't even think to watch out for bludgers flying his way because he didn't really think that was going to be a problem. At that moment he was completely absorbed in his own flying.

For a while he just kept flying, going from laps to dives to dodges to loops to whatever other moves he could think of. Occasionally he'd glimpse the other student out of the corner of his eye but that was all. It took quite a while before Reg noticed that the single blur of a student had not turned into two blurs, and the ring of voices reached his ear.

Slowing, Reg circled closer to where he could make out the back of a familiar head. Elisabetta? Whatever they were talking about it was pretty clear to Reg that a) Elisabetta was enjoying it, and b) Shacklebolt was not. Elisabetta was very good and riling people up and leaving them on the brink of cursing or hexing her. A few people had actually been pushed across that boarder by her too.

It was only when the bird landed on her shoulder that Reg had moved close enough to hear what she was saying. Something about the ministry and raids and Hogsmeade... Her hand went to her wrist and Reg's eyes narrowed slightly, wondering what it could be about this time. Despite knowing a lot of what went on around the Slytherin common room, Reg was still very out of the loop when it came to stuff like... that.

"'Betta?" He wondered if he'd get any answer from her about what it was that had just happened. He didn't and instead got to watch her retreating back as she flew away towards the school.

A silence hung between the two remaining boys for a while after she'd gone, neither of them moving. Eventually though, Reg looked back to Kingsley. "What was she saying to you before that?" Knowing her, nothing pleasant.