RP: The First Annual Spring Festival - Day Two

[tt_ginny]

Date: 10 March 2002
Characters: Ginny Weasley, Marcus Flint, Open to Anyone
Setting: The Festival
Content: PG
Status: Public : Open



She waved as she passed the current gave of Living Chess, gripping her broom tightly as she jogged over to whisper a tip in the ear of the young girl playing the Knight. Her game this morning had gone great, though they'd played against a local team from Three, and not any that had the professionals in them. She'd caught the Snitch though and that's what had her grinning from ear to ear as she went looking for the coffee stand, remembering what Alicia had said. If Flint reverted back to his vile attitude with her, she's cure herself of these lingering thoughts.

There were two very lively volleyball games going on at this end of the beach but Ginny could see at least two more at the far end and what looked like a game of cricket, too. She passed a juggler entertaining a group of young children and stopped at one of the beer stands to ask directions. Now heading in the right direction, Ginny knew she was in the right place when she saw Viktor and his teammates had transfigured some rocks into chairs. He lifted a hand to her and she returned the wave with a smile but didn't go over, heading instead to the coffee stand, checking the time as she did.

Comments

[tt_marcus]

"I get it. I mean, sometimes it's really bloody hard to find a balance and have a life outside the game." He frowned. "I'm not great at that." There was a reason the press had never spread gossip about him - there wasn't really a great deal to gossip about.

He nodded. "Nearly blacked out," he confirmed, matter-of-fact. "But it's a hazard of the job. When you had to put my shoulder back in place, it wasn't the first time I'd dislocated something."

[tt_ginny]

"But it's different here. You can, you know, have a life and the game," she pointed out, a light blush rising on her cheeks as she looked away from him quickly. That came out a bit more boldly than she intended it. Taking a deep breath, Ginny pushed on. "I'm sure they'll restart the league soon, though. I saw the portal medical records for next month. All the information for the Arrows, Harpies, United, and Magpies was data-pushed through."

She glanced up at him when he mentioned the shoulder dislocation, surprised that he had remembered her being there. He'd seemed quite out of sorts at the time. "No, it wasn't. I had to review your record when I added the shoulder work."

[tt_marcus]

"Just doesn't feel like much of a life without the game in it right now, though," he said, just a little bitter until he heard the news. "Really? Well," he mused, "that'll make things interesting." But it was a little disheartening that there weren't more of the Falcons coming through. His teammates had become his closest friends through necessity during their busy training schedules. Life was a little empty without them, even though he had made a handful of new friends since arriving.

Marcus chuckled, glancing at her. The sunlight gleamed on her red hair and, for a moment, he was transported back to that day in the wheat field. "Yeah. There's a reason Quidditch isn't a lifelong career."

[tt_ginny]

"I hear rumors around the Med Center, but it's hard to believe anything until it happens, you know? That many teams, though, it sounds like something's changing on the other side," Ginny replied with a shrug. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted too much to change here. Life was less political here.

Arriving at the Quidditch area, she spotted an empty blanket nearby. Reaching out, Ginny took Marcus' hand and gave it a light tug as she sank down cross-legged on the blanket, setting her broom down on the opposite side. "Have you thought about what you want after Quidditch?" she asked.

[tt_marcus]

"Doesn't take much to guess that things are getting worse over there." Marcus felt cold just thinking about how the climate must have deteriorated.

He nearly froze as Ginny took hold of his hand, however brief the touch was. Ginny kept surprising him and he didn't quite know what to make of it. He set his broom down carefully, making sure that no one would be able to stand on it by accident. Brooms didn't confuse him the way women did. "Er, kind of always thought I'd stay in Quidditch. Coaching? Maybe managing one day." He sipped his iced coffee. "Only other thing I've ever been good at his history and there isn't much call for that."

[tt_ginny]

"No, it doesn't. I know they're speeding up construction on the other continent. One of the engineering wizards was in last week. Had a wall fall on him, poor bloke," she explained. "Sirius messaged me yesterday. I'm going over there next week to do some charms work with him."

She didn't notice any hesitation on his part, though Ginny did note that he didn't try to keep hold of her hand after they sat. Still, just the fact that he wasn't growling or sneering at her seemed like a small victory. Though to what end, Ginny was probably as confused as he was.

A healer walked by and glanced between Marcus and she, arching an eyebrow pointedly at her, but Ginny lifted her chin defiantly in response. "Coaching, I could see. Managing? Isn't that a lot of deal-making?" Ginny replied, leaning back on one hand, watching as the Quaffle was tossed into the air. Her gaze was drawn to the Seeker already. "History?" she glanced over to him in surprise. "Err, sorry, I just wouldn't have taken you for a history buff."

[tt_marcus]

More people coming through the portal meant more work for everyone else when they arrived, too. From the point of view of Marcus's work, that mean more people to feed.

Marcus laughed, giving a shrug. "Yeah." He grinned briefly. "But give me a few decades. I could grow into the role." When Ginny looked at him in surprise, he settled on a smirk, leaning back and propping himself up with his free hand. "Dunno if I'd go that far. But Mum's an historian. Kind of drilled into me as a kid."

[tt_ginny]

She couldn't help but smile at his laugh. It was so strange to hear, but it was a nice sound. His grin, however, made her think of those daydreams, causing a small tingle in her stomach.

"Sorry, I can sorta picture you negotiating, but kissing arse? Not in a million more years," Ginny laughed, taking a drink of her ice coffee. She hadn't liked ice tea back in the old world but this was different.

"A historian? That's actually interesting. The only thing my mum drilled into me as a kid was housekeeping charms and cooking," she said, returning her attention to the game. Pointing up, she said. "The Seeker is facing the sun, won't be able to see anything, and he's too focused on looking, not listening."

[tt_marcus]

Marcus took a healthy gulp of his drink. "Yeah, but I could learn. Maybe." He frowned. It was a bit of a dream, but probably one that would never happen even without his lack of schmoozing skills.

He nodded. "Yeah. I kind of grew up with tales of historical battles as bedtime stories." Some might say that a dose of goblin wars before bed as a child had possibly affected his personality. In truth, his father had been far more of an influence in that respect.

"Hmm." Marcus looked out across the pitch, glancing at the Chasers before he settled his gaze on the Seeker in question. "He'll figure it out soon enough when that Bludger tries to have a go at him."

[tt_ginny]

"Maybe, but it wouldn't suit you, I think," Ginny pointed out, being honest and keeping her tone light. She didn't want him to think that she was looking down on him because she wasn't. Kissing arse wasn't something that came easily or naturally to her, either.

Just the fact that he was opening up to her about his childhood spoke volumes, even if he was just telling her about his mum. "My mum never told us anything that might keep us up at night. Actually, I'm pretty happy she didn't resort to sleeping potions, with the lot of us."

Her gaze dropped when he pointed out the Bludger, finding the Beaters quickly, and seeing that the Seeker wasn't even trying to track the game below him. "They're going to tag team him, poor sod," Ginny agreed with a sigh. "I just hope he learns from this."