Swing Life Away [Bella and Alicia]

'Hmm, lovely' Alicia thought, setting her book down on her stomach and staring up at the sky. She was sprawled on a bench in the courtyard, legs hanging over the side and occasionally bumping against the side. The sun was out and high in the sky. Her kind of weather. 'There is no way this day could possibly get better'

Isobel wandered out into the courtyard. The sun beamed proudly in the sky. She turned her back away from the Sun. It looked rather arrogant, high in the middl of the sky, drawing attention to everyone, basking in its own glory. She preferred the night, when the humble, silver moon illuminated the black. When creatures could move unnoticed, when mystery thrives. She felt safer then.

She spotted a Hufflepuff girl on the bench. Being as she was, Isobel would have left the girl to her peace, but her curiousity got the better of her. She walked over to her silently and said, her voice barely over a whisper-

"What are you reading?" she asked in a dreamy voice.

"Hmm?"
Alicia sat up, twisting to see who was talking to her. "Quidditch through the ages," she admitted, holding the book up for the other girl's inspection. "I'm planning on going to a match sometime this year, so I figured I'd better get my head around it" she laughed, shaking her head. "Not that this is doing much good,"

"Quidditch..." she murmured to herself, looking more closely at the book.

"I tried to learn how, because I love flying. But I wasn't any good. Terrible actually. Peculiar combination isn't it? Good at flying, bad at quidditch?" she asked dreamily.

"What position do you play?" she asked, trying to spark a conversation- not that she knew how to properly...

"'Tis," Alicia agreed, allowing her mind to follow the little train of thought before snapping her attention back to their conversation. "I don't actually play," she explained, waggling the book. "I'd love to play, but I don't think I know enough about it to play it well" she sighed, raising her eyebrows. "What about you?"

"No, I can't play. My hands never seem to reach the ball in time." she said lazily.

"But my aunt is big on quidditch. I know all of the rules." she said calmly.

She perched herself on the end of the bench.

"Would you like me to explain them to you?" she asked kindly.

"Yes, please" Alicia said, tucking her legs into her chest to give Isobel more room. "I know all the positions and such, but the rules and penalties mess me up," she said, shaking her head.

Belle moved further along the bench. She hummed, tucking a silky lock of caramel hair behind her ear.

"Okay, lets start with penalties and fouls then." she said, almost speaking to herself.

She held up a finger every time she introduced a new foul.

"Blagging, Blatching, Blurting, Bumphing, Cobbing, Flacking, Quaffle-pocking, Snitchnip and Snooging." Nine fingers were up.

"Have you heard of some?"

"No, I haven't," Alicia said, covering her mouth with her hand to hide a ridiculously large grin. They all sounded quite ridiculous, especially the last few. "Blagging and Blatching sound familiar, but I couldn't tell you what they are," she admitted, composing herself and returning her attention to what Isobel was saying.

Isobel smiled with her. She had an infectious grin.

"You have a lovely smile." she complimented.

"Blagging is when a player takes hold of another's broom, and Blatching is when a player deliberately flies into someone else."

"There are so many more than those nine, though. 700- according to the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

She laughed quietly.

"But they're not supposed to tell anyone all of the fouls, because they're scared someone may get a few ideas from it."