🖇·˚ ༘ ┊͙[ chapter ten ] ! ˊˎ

╰─▸ the hufflepuff quidditch team, superiority complexes, and tardiness

     QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS. ACCORDING TO MARCUS, the most important day of the year. I didn't disagree, it was just that I was happy and content with my current team. Sure, we could do with a few better subs, but overall I was happy. I didn't necessarily like Draco being on the team, but he wasn't bad at the sport and I didn't have much of a choice to not put him on. This meant I had to replace Terrence as seeker, which, as you can tell, didn't go down well. Luckily, he had played as beater quite a few times before, so we managed to keep him on the team, and by now, he was as fair a beater as he used to be a seeker.

     We were in fact the best team out of the four, even if people like Diggory and Wood disagreed. We had the last seven years, two years of which were under my 'reign' as I liked to call it, of Inner-house cup victory to prove it. Snape had selected me specifically to be the team captain at the start of my fourth year, due to my high excellence in the sport. I mean, I was pretty good.

     It was Marcus' and Terrence's last year, which meant it meant more to them if they could win one last time, especially meaning they would have won every year they had been at Hogwarts.

     I waltzed out onto the pitch, taking in the fresh air. Sure it was cold, it was October, but that didn't make me any less excited for Quidditch.

     Our first match was against Gryffindor and was only one month away. They weren't much but were still our biggest competition. Especially with Potter. We may have better brooms, but Potter was definitely a more skilled seeker than Malfoy was.

     The turnout was quite surprising. A few third years had bravely shown up, but it was mostly fourths and fifths.

     "Alright everyone, as I'm sure you're aware not everyone will make the team. I need one new beater and two new substitutes. These subs should be prepared to play any position if needed. So, can I have chasers to my left, beaters in the middle, and keepers and seekers to my right?" The students began making their way to their desired position. "Everyone grab a broom and get in the air."

' ੈ˚ ❃  

     THE TRYOUTS WERE UNFOLDING NICELY. I had my eye on a few fifth years and one fourth. I had my current team split in two, along with the newcomers, to create two equal and balanced teams.

     "Adrian!" I yelled from the sideline, clipboard, and stopwatch in hand. He was flying through the air, the quaffle grasped under his shoulder, as he looked back at me, "Get out!" I motioned my hand out so he knew to get into space. He nodded back.

     The sidelines of the pitch, were further out, which meant I could hear almost everything coming from the outside. My headshot back at the scuffling of footsteps, I assumed, coming from not far behind me.

     "Spying are we?" Nothing. "Well come out then," I instructed.

     Out from the shadow emerged none other than Anthony Rickett, Malcolm Preece, and Diggory. The three of them, brooms in hand, wearing their annoying canary yellow quidditch robes. I rolled my eyes.

     "I see the pitch is occupied," Malcolm said, noticing the fourteen players, zooming around mid-air.

     "Well done Preece, that would be correct." I turned back around to face the pitch, looked up, and reverted my attention back to the tryouts. I looked down at my stopwatch. "Malfoy! It's been seventeen minutes, get a move on!" He too nodded and continued searching for the coveted golden ball. "Care to explain why you three are still here?" The three boys turned back to me, after staring at the team.

     "Well, we technically booked the pitch for our tryouts today, y/l/n," Rickett said. Without looking back, I removed a note from my clipboard and passed it to him.

     "I professor Severus Snape, hereby grant the Slytherin team permission to use the pitch today, October 3rd, in order to proceed with their tryouts." Diggory readout. They all scoffed. "And who do you need to replace y/l/n? Thought your little team was perfect."

     I laughed. The reasoning behind needing new players was obvious. "Well, not everyone can stay at school forever now can they Diggory?" I still hadn't taken my eyes off the match currently taking place.

     "Well-" He began but I stopped him by putting my finger up, still not turning to face him.

     "Hey!" I snapped my fingers in the direction of the three hoops to my left. I caught the attention of the three players, "One, Miles you should have saved that. Two nice, work Marcus." the boy smirked in my direction and then back to Miles and continued with the match. I lowered my finger, "proceed."

     "I was going to say-"

     I didn't see the need of listening to what they had to say. I had the authority to be there, so before Cedric could get another word in, I interjected, "I'll stop you right there. The truth is Diggory, I really couldn't care less what you had to say about me, my team, or the fact you and your pitiful little squad didn't get the chance to use the pitch for your tryouts today, because my team beat your sorry arses to it, just like we will when it comes to the cup. So if you boys don't mind, I'm going to return to my tryouts, which you three pests have now distracted me from." I ushered them out. "Good luck with your tryouts. I hope you find a few more pathetic losers to add to your, well mediocre, at best, lineup. You're gonna need all the help you can get." They scoffed at me, almost bewildered by my sudden backlash.

     After a moment's tension, Diggory pulled away, walking out, following the two boys from where they came in, I blew my whistle, signalling for the players in the air, to touch back down.

    "Well done today everyone, I'm pleasantly surprised. The team sheet will be posted latest tomorrow morning. Like I said, unfortunately not all of you could make the team, but don't be disappointed, there's always next year."

     I watched as the players panted from the amount of exercise they had done for the first time in months, as Marcus approached me.

     "What did those Badgers want?"

     "Just checking out the competition I assume. Don't worry Marc, we'll win it. We always do."

' ੈ˚ ❃ connie speaks!
pff why are the chapters
so short??? this is supposed
to be enemies to lovers so
why did i rush it????

i'm embarrassed for past self x