( 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 ― 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙛𝙤𝙮 / 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 )

[TWO | POP, SNAP, CRACKLE, PAIN!]

IF DUMBLEDORE THOUGHT THE TWO CAPTAINS WOULD BE CIVIL WITH ONE ANOTHER, then he'd be immensely wrong. Nearly the second they saw one another, things had started to go awry. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the infamous Potter and his team of Gryffindorks." The tall blond drawled, his team following behind as they skated towards the edge of the rink; looking up at the bleachers at their rivals.

"And if it isn't Malfoy..." Harry spoke in the same manner, trailing off.

There was a pause before Draco spoke up, "You forgot the Slytherins, genius."

Harry chuckled, "Sorry, I didn't consider them as a team."

"Funny you say that considering the Gryffindors weren't even proclaimed as an actual hockey team up until the recent years."  Grinding his teeth, Harry held back the line of curses that were about to leak out.

"All that won't matter when we beat you at the championship game next week."

"You think you can beat us?" Draco gave a fond smile, the look in his eyes sending different message, " Aw, how cute."

  "Oh, it's gonna be real hot when we slay you in the tournament, then." Harry retorted in a menacing voice, sending daggers as he began walking down the bleachers, only to be stopped and held back Hermione; knowing what he had in mind.

"Instead of all this talk, how about we actually settle this out on the floor?" She barged in (as in attempt to stop their pointless arguing) her tone revealing irritation; her words gathering the support of many.

"Best idea I've heard all day, Granger." Pansy Parkinson replied, the two sharing a slight smile before everyone separated and got dressed; heading back onto the rink to (unexpectedly) find the overall referee, Madam Hooch, waiting for them there; causing them all to raise and eyebrow in questioning of her intent there.

"Everyone, pair up with your match on the opposing team. We're gonna have a few laps around the rink and then we'll start practice. I'll only be here for the warm-ups because you are all grown enough to know how practices work. We're gonna keep this short and simple unless one of you goof off. Then, everyone will have to pay. And I'm sure you don't want that considering I'm in charge."

She warned, looking everyone in the eye (causing them to all look down for her strong gaze seemed to pierce their souls) "Since we're all clear and my words have been understood..." She stood back onto the first bleacher seat and pulled out her whistle,

"Begin!" She yelled out, the small instrument letting out a shrill scream;  signaling the start of the the first lap.

_________

"TIME!"  Harry called out for the third time in the last hour, grumbling angrily as he moved off ice. Draco had been playing foul moves against him during practice and there was only a certain amount of his bullshit Harry could handle.

"Aw, c'mon Potter! Come back out onto the rink, I know practice isn't that hard." 

"Practice isn't hard," Harry began, getting a cup of water, "You're just fouling too much." He finished, eyeing him as he chugged down his water; disposing his cup before heading back down.

"Fouling? Me? Hilarious! Now get back out here," Draco held up his stick and swung at air, " I meant to aim for your knees last time, but you moved out the way."

"Those were clear fouls!" Harry screeched, getting more frustrated by the second, "Oh, I forgot, you don't know the rules since your damn father had to pay for you to be on the team!" He spat, moving closer, "That's why you're such a little priss, everything is bought for you." He scoffed, " I bet you fall out at the thought of actually working for something. You have no true talent except at being a stuck up brat."

"At least my father is in my life and is not constantly away with 'business trips' or so he calls them; at least he bothers to stay home instead of always running off at the snap of the fingers of his 'boss.' By the way, how's life at home, Potter? Still getting shoved into the downstairs closet by Dudley?" Draco mocked, 

"You're gonna kept at it and--"

"What? What are you gonna do about it, huh?!" Draco yelled as he moved closer, waiting for Harry's reaction. But Harry kept cool, and began skating back onto his side of the ice; trying his best to calm down though he was clenching his fists, "Nothing, that's what. I knew it! You're weak, just like your dear old fa--"

Harry let out a yell before turning around throwing out his fist, knocking Draco down with a power jab. There was a moment of silence before Draco jumped up and tackled Harry down; the two scrapping it out on the rice. As their teammates rushed to break the two apart, their blows could be heard, echoing about the rink.

By the time they were pulled apart, they were breathing heavy; both looking like a mess with their yanked hair and bruised-filled bodies as they continued to glare at one another (despite the excruciating pain coursing throughout their veins.) Harry, with his dislocated shoulder and scratches littered about his body--and Draco with his bruised lip and (a currently forming) black eye.

"I...think that's enough of practice," Blaise spoke up after sometime, looking over at Ron; knowing more damage could've been done had the two had more time. "We'll just leave things here. They don't have to know, this arena--thankfully but oddly--doesn't have cameras so they won't see anything that just happened."

Ron nodded, looking back and forth at both teams, "If Dumbledore asks, we did the full hours of the required practice. And everything went pretty well. If not, we'll both be in a shitload of trouble, alright?"

The room was quiet before Blaise pointed something out (with an eye-roll, of course), "There's no point in being stubborn about it, we all know he's right. Just... do us a favor and agree on it already so we can leave, I know neither one of us wants to stay here longer than necessary, okay?"

So after a moment of obvious hesitation, there were mutters of agreement before the two co-captains shook hands and both teams left the academy; dragging their injured and angered captains back to their schools.