Lauren Davies and the Glydan Pipe

The Trials and Tribulations of Quidditch

Lauren's stomach was turning itself inside out as she rose on the first Saturday of November. She was extra jittery and her teeth chattered incessantly as she pulled on her red and gold quidditch sweater. The first quidditch match of the season always seemed to trigger her nerves. She carefully rummaged around her trunk for her gear, trying her best to be quiet. Tess and Isla were snoring softly and Lauren didn't dare wake them.

The early morning sun lit up their dormitory, emitting soft golden light onto the old furniture, highlighting specks of dust that had likely been resting there for weeks. The conditions were perfect for quidditch. High visibility and low wind required the sharpest skills, as there was no room for error. It also meant that she would have to act quick to score points because the clear skies made the snitch easier to spot, almost guaranteeing a shorter game. Most quidditch games she'd played only lasted for about an hour or two, with the exception of one in her third year. The heavy rain made the game last for seven hours, and by the end, both teams were only focused on ending the match and getting out of the rain. She couldn't even remember if they'd won or not.

A soft thud echoed through the room as Angelina closed the lid to her trunk, arm guards in hand. Lauren silently chastised her for making noise and quickly glanced over to see if Tess or Isla had stirred. They both continued to sleep soundly and Lauren turned her attention to her breathing which had become shallow and erratic due to the combination of nerves and trying not to make a sound. Angelina gestured to the door, indicating that she was ready to head down to breakfast. Lauren nodded but held up one finger and leaned on her four poster bed to close her eyes and take a few deep breaths.

Once she felt strength return to her limbs, she grabbed the rest of her things from off of her bed and headed over to where Angelina was leaning her head back on the door frame. At the sound of Lauren softly approaching, Angelina looked over and slowly pushed the door open so they could exit the bedroom. The creak of the door's hinges made Lauren and Angelina cringe, but they hurried to shut it before they could see if anyone had stirred.

Free from the constraints of noiselessness, they bounded down the stairs two at a time and careened into the common room where they collided with Fred and George. The boys were dressed in matching quidditch sweaters and looked like they had just rolled out of bed.

"Woah, there. Save some energy for the game," George said through a large yawn.

"You better not go easy just because we're playing your boyfriend," Lauren teased and punched his shoulder. George's face turned beet red, only a few shades away from his flaming hair, and Angelina snickered as they all began walking to the Great Hall together.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Yet," Fred said cheekily, causing Lauren and Angelina to burst out laughing. George grit his teeth and looked at the floor to hide the growing blush on his face, but Lauren could tell he was using every muscle in his face to try and prevent the corners of his lips turning upward.

The four Gryffindors hurtled into the Great Hall, significantly disrupting the peace. They quickly spotted Oliver, who was scribbling different plays onto a napkin and spooning eggs into his mouth. They rushed over to him, but Lauren wasn't looking where she was going and ended up smacking her foot on the edge of the table, resulting in shooting pain and pitying looks from the students whose breakfast was interrupted by the sharp sound of her foot colliding with the hardwood. She cursed herself for not paying attention and took a moment to compose herself before joining her friends.

"Hiya, captain," Fred said as he clapped Oliver on the back, making him jump and choke slightly on his food. The group settled at the table around the Gryffindor keeper and started helping themselves to a variety of breakfast foods. Lauren's nervous stomach was still bothering her, but she did her best to nibble on a piece of toast.