Pepper Jones
September 14, 2006 3:22 PM
Once more unto the breach, dear friends by Pepper Jones
After all the necessary things, such as unpacking and establishing - as best she could without it being too obvious - that none of the first years was having a crisis, Pepper made her way out to the Quidditch Pitch. After all the excess of Christmas, she felt she needed some proper exercise (however high-energy Theo's kick-abouts, or pretend games of Quidditch were, they still seemed more like fun). Plus she had been living as a Muggle again, and wanted to plunge herself back into this world - back into being Sonora Pepper again - as quickly as possible. The third reason she was so keen to go flying was tucked under her right arm. Even though she'd had to go and purchase it herself, being told that she could get a broom for Christmas had been a lovely surprise. It was a second hand Cleansweep, like the school one which she'd been borrowing, but in much better condition. Either the previous owner had been a doting one, or had been wealthy enough they'd scarcely ridden it before getting a new model. She preferred to think it was the former.Adjusting the burden under her left arm - a Muggle soccer ball - she mounted her new broom, and took it for its first ever flight. She lapped the pitch, appreciating - what to her - was smooth handling, stroking the handle lovingly as it cornered just the amount she wanted. Once she'd got herself and the broom warmed up, she began throwing and catching the ball. At first, straight up, then out in front so she had to chase it, then behind (which caused her first, shallow dive after it) and finally up again, but spinning her broom 360 degrees before catching it, which she managed every time, though with rather wild, flailing catches. Next, she placed the ball on her back. She was good at this trick on the ground, but not sure how well she'd do in midair. She leant to one side, to roll the ball down her arm. It went smoothly, but the action, of course, caused her broom to tip as well. The ball fell from her hand, but Pepper's first priority was to get both hands on the broom shaft, and make sure she wasn't going to end up hanging upside down. She turned to go after the ball, but it was miles ahead of her. She'd got so used to the Quaffle that she'd forgotten how fast a normal ball would go.
"HEADS UP!" she yelled, seeing someone on the pitch. It didn't look like it was going to hit him or her, but she wanted to be sure. She dived after the ball, slowing up quite a way from the ground and descending gently (being a Muggleborn, and not a Seeker, she'd had no reason to perfect manic, Wronsky-like dives). "It didn't hit you, did it?" she asked with concern, hopping off the broom and retrieving the ball. It hadn't looked like it really would, and this person wasn't reeling in pain, so she guessed not, but it seemed polite to check. \n\n
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Pepper Jones
Once more unto the breach, dear friends
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Pepper Jones
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