"I'm proud to be on the team...don't get me wrong." Looking at his fingers on the hand in his lap, he sighs. "I'm just not proud of what I did."

His voice cracking, he hadn't told anyone, not a single person, not even Anya...

Ellie shifted herself to face him more and gave him one of the sweet smiles she gives her brother after he hurt himself or something.

"What could you have done that would be bad?" she asked. Aw, his voice cracked.

Watching as she gave him a sweet smile, he grins sheepishly back at her.

Lowering his eyes again though he replies quietly "It's all my fault..." Looking up at her, he asks "Do you remember when I said that we hadn't won the house cup in 2 terms?"

"Well, that's exactly when I started...and I was seeker that first term." Sighing, he pulls his arm back, and puts his head in his hands.

Ellie continued to smile, only now she was holding back a giggle. Did he really think it was all his fault they hadn't won the cup?

"Oh, come on.." she began, "That's not your fault. Not even if the only points we had earned were because of quidditch." she grabbed his arm gently, in a 'don't bury your head, silly' kind of way.

"If you were that bad, they wouldn't keep you on the team. And I saw you, don't forget. And I've seen professional quidditch games, too. And you're really good." she said, encouragingly. He was very good. He was amazing at tryouts! Even after she'd hit him with that bludger that time.

"But it was me...until I joined the team, Ravenclaw had been on a winning streak with the Quidditch cup." Shaking his head, everyone said he was good...but he knew better.

"In the games, I caught the snitch once, ONCE!" he said firmly. "And even that was an accident." They hadn't won since, not even a single game, since he made the team, and he felt aweful.

At least he'd caught it. Ellie thought.

"Stop blaming yourself." she said sternly. She was resorting to 'tough love' now. Kinda. She wasn't that tough, soo... It was 'kinda tough love'. And it usually worked, 'Aidan stop crying.' and Aidan would stop crying.

Nia had spent some thinking time about the team by the lake, and now ventured in to the Common Room. She bit her lip as she came in, noting at least three of those who had tried out today were already there. Was now a good time to sneak up to the dorms?

Of course it wasn't. Why should she avoid people. She hadn't made any concrete decisions yet. And so she headed over to one of her favourite armchairs. It was then she heard JD speak, and watched as he buried his head in his arms. She stopped for a moment, and gave a small smile to Ellie. "She's right you know," Nia said softly, announcing her presence. It seemed he'd forgotten some of what she'd said on the way to the Hospital Wing. Not surprising, given how painful his injury looked. "Seeker's a hard position for anyone, I especially know that."

She perched on the arm of the nearest sofa. Should she stay, go to her original destination or head up to the dorm?

"It's hard not to." he replies with a wry grin. Peeking at her through his fingers, he wanted to laugh because of how serious she sounded, but knew that would show that he wasn't serious and he was.

Hearing Nia's voice, he felt guilty, he remembered their talk on the way to the hospital wing, but it just still didn't make him understand that. Until they won a game, (without him), he wouldn't be able to prove his point.

He may be a good flier, but it wasn't enough to win a game, he needed the deftness...and more confidence really.

"I know I tried out...but it might be in the best interest of the team, if I just back out now..." he says quietly to Nia.

Ellie could of smacked him. She didn't, though. Obviously she didn't know him like that.

"Don't say that!" she exclaimed, instead, "If you make it on the team, which I feel you will, I hope you will..." Now, this was sounding awkward with Nia right there, "We will win. And with you on it. You don't realize how amazing you are." she said. She thought, now, that maybe it was his lack of confidence that was troubling their games...

Okay, looks like she was going to be staying here to try and get JD's confidence back up. She couldn't understand how he'd got so down again after that last tryout session, he'd even scored upside down. She refrained from rolling her eyes.

She sighed. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much about backing out..." she said with a solemn face. Of course she hadn't finalised the team yet, and even if she had she couldn't reveal anything...but JD didn't know that. Maybe if she made him see how much he'd miss it, how much he loved being in the air, flying upside down, he'd change his mind. She swallowed slowly, keeping up the act. "I just can't afford to have..." she drifted off, knowing exactly what she was going to say when he questioned her as to what she was 'originally going to say'.

Ellie was right of course. And now she and Nia were essentially doing the good cop, bad cop thing. Just kinda different. Nia sent her a knowing wink, hoping she'd play along and trust what Nia was doing. It seemed the young 'Claw had already cottoned on to JD's confidence issues...

Ellie met Nia's eye and smiled. She was glad they were working together. She hoped JD'd see that people were on his side.. Though Nia wasn't showing it.. apparently.. What?

Still peeking at her through his fingers, she had this odd look on her face. He wondered if he was gonna get hit.

We will win...without me, yes. he mutters, low hoping she wouldn't hear. He knew she was good and had good aim, he on the other hand, was good with bad aim...

Wishing he could groan, because it was frustrating not being able to make them understand. He didn't want to be that way!

Looking to Nia surprised. "Exactly. Tell her Nia." He adds turning toward Ellie. "Nia will tell you, the team can't afford to have..."

Nia couldn't tell Ellie understood where she was going with this - but evidently trusted her enough to let her carry on. Or at least, Nia hoped Ellie didn't think Nia was some awful Captain that told her players they were all rubbish. She carried on with her plan.

She sighed heavily once more. As if she was having to break some really hard news. "Well, someone that can't fly, fumbles with the quaffle, doesn't know which way round the broom goes, or which of the balls is the Quaffle...and definitely isn't comfortable upside down in the air." She took a long hard serious look at JD, as if she was studying him intensely. She was trying to read his expression, whilst trying to suppress the chuckle inside her. "I mean, some people just aren't up to the job." She shook her head. "And you..." She paused, as if she was having great difficulty saying this. "And, well, you..."

Anya walked in after a day of revisiting all her favorite places. Curling her knees up to her chest by the fireplace, she yawned.

Ellie just watched their conversation, now. What was Nia playing at? From what she'd seen, JD was excellent on a broom... And who didn't know what a quaffle was? She thought it best to keep quiet, though. Maybe Nia was just... who knows... But maybe she had a plan. She had to have seen JD's talent as Ellie had..

With his hands now in his lap, he nods "I don't have what it takes." He sighs regretfully. He knew it, he knew that he hadn't and at least the one person that term, that needed to, finally saw that.

It wasn't the best way to go out, but it was the only way to do it without looking stupid. "Then, Nia I am going to resign from the tryouts."

Looking horrible though it's what he wanted, he stands up and walks over to the window.

Ellie gave Nia a horrified look. And a look that said 'you'd better do something'. He couldn't quit! And she couldn't keep quiet much longer... She was bursting to tell JD that he was awesome and tell Nia off... Though that wouldn't improve her quidditch chances...

Anya was about to walk up to the girls dorm when she saw JD by the window. He looked sad, but she wasn't sure what to do. Sighing, she decided she would wait until the other two teammates left to see if he still remembered her. Or even wanted to talk to her after her mysterious appearance.

Watching as a girl, he knew and recognized very well entered into the common room finding a spot by the fire. Her favorite spot. "Anya..." he whispered again. Not daring to budge from the window, or even move lest she notice him.

Seeing the look Ellie gave Nia, JD says quietly "Ellie...it's for the best. Maybe someday..." turning to look out the window he bites his lip.

[QUOTE=Nymphadoraliz;9378362]Watching as a girl, he knew and recognized very well entered into the common room finding a spot by the fire. Her favorite spot. "Anya..." he whispered again. Not daring to budge from the window, or even move lest she notice him.
[QUOTE]

She heard her name whispered by a very familiar voice. He remembers me she thought, smiling to herself. She really wanted to talk to him, but she couldn't make herself move.

Okay, Ellie just looked puzzled now. Nia tried to give her a 'I'm trying something so bear with me look'. The younger girl hadn't thought Nia was actually talking about JD, had she?

She eyed JD, watching quietly - understanding the extent of his reaction. His face told a lot of the story. She watched him quietly, before following him to the window. The pitch could be seen in the distance.

"I'm not letting that be a formal resignation," she said softly in his ear. "Tell me something. Humour me, as it were..." She leant forward against the window sill. "Is that your heart talking, or your head?" She took a breath. "Because I think something wasn't listening to what I actually said." She glanced back at Ellie, who was looking fit to burst. Like she wanted to hit the Captain, actually. "I don't think Ellie agreed with what I said. And I don't either."

Nia smiled, and put an arm round JD. "You silly fool. I wasn't describing you - I was describing the exact opposite. Not that your confidence, or lack of it, allowed you to hear that. I do believe you absolutely love flying the worng way up, especially fast, AND you proved you can shoot like that." Oh yes, she'd put the upside down reference in for a reason. That was her telling sign. "Sure improvements can be made - nobody's perfect - but you're good. Very good. Just don't let your head block the way of your heart. Statistics can be BAD things."

She bit her lip. Perhaps that hadn't been the right way to go about things. But maybe it would have made him think a bit. She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "I suggest you reconsider your stance on that resignation." She gave him a knowing smile and a wink. "And if you'll excuse me a moment, I believe Ellie has some good things to say to you, and some very negative ones to say to me."

Ellie watched and wished she could hear what Nia was saying! She caught a few words, and it sounded as if she was using a nice tone... She put her arm around him... And she heard her name. Gulp. What was going on?..

Of course he wasn't asking her to cheat for him, she was his friend, and that is how he(now) wanted it. They would all be best of friends.....forever.

"Wow....well good for them...hopefully the castle is roomy, potato chips en masse take up a lot of room...."

Turning toward her he looks surprised "But..." Looking back at Ellie, he sees what she means. He didn't quite agree thath Nia shouldn't take that as a resignation, or that she didn't agree with him.

Sighing he nods, "I'll definitely keep what you said in mind...and think about it."

Glancing at Anya, a smile plays on his lips. Glancing at Ellie he wonders who she's going to talk to first.

Whispering to Anya, "Come over here..." hoping she'd heard him, he waits.

Ellie looked over at Nia and JD... Then at Nia alone... Confusion plainly displayed on her face...