» Familial Games, Open for any Hatchitt siblings/cousins

[Constance Hatchitt]

Time Stamp: Summer of 1881

Flying. Connie flew around her grandparents' estate at alarming rates, trying desperately to reach out and touch the golden snitch. The warm summer months caused her to spend hours upon hours on her broom soaring above the ground. She couldn't afford to get soft now, not with the quidditch season looming right around the corner.

Pushing herself harder, Connie reached out just enough to grab hold of the fleeing ball. She would have to be in tip-top shape if she wanted to keep her position as seeker. And she had to keep her spot on the team because that was the only way professional teams would notice her. It was hard enough to get noticed because of her sex, it would be even harder to be noticed if someone else proved to be better than her.

Just as she landed on the ground so that she could reset the game, Connie noticed her cousin, Minnie, coming up the path. Mina was perhaps one of Connie's favorite people to be around as they were so similar it was scary. This isn't to say the two didn't have their spats, their fights just held less meaning to them. 

"Hey! Mina! You coming to challenge me for my crown?" She teased as she played with the snitch. "Or are you finally gonna get one of the dirty boys off our team?" 

[Mina Hatchitt]

Mina both loated and adored the time spent on her grandparents' estate in equal measure. On the one hand, it meant that she was able to spend more time than ever with her cousins-cousins whom, for the most part, she considered very much like her own siblings. On the other, she knew full well that her parents looked forward to such getaways too, not because they actually intended to join their children, but rather because it proved a particularly good opportunity to foist Noah, Judy and Mina off on their poor, unsuspecting family members and run off gallivanting somewhere in the countryside.

It was a bitter thought, and one Mina wasn't in the mood to face on such a flawless day. Though she had come to love Hogwarts with all of her being, and Hogsmeade to for that matter, there was a feeling of homecoming that seemed to touch her profoundly upon returning to Ireland-a feeling that put a bigger spring in her step even than usual.

She had only just woken up, thrown out of bed unceremoniously by Judy, and scarfed down some breakfast, but already she was feeling bored and restless. It was far too lovely out to hang around inside-and knowing Connie, who probably felt the same way but tended to wake up several hours earlier, she was probably already out on the pitch, practicing.

Mina leaped to her feet, pecking her grandparents on the cheeks peremptorily, and bounded down the steps and out into the lush green of the sprawling estate. Sure enough, she could just make out a little speck in the otherwise clear sky, zooming back and forth with startling speed.

"How can I challenge something that you never had in the first place." she countered, biting back laughter as mounted her broom and prepared for kickoff. "Can I play keeper this time, or am I going to have to chase after that bloody snitch all morning again like a buffoon?" she added, grinning now.

[Judy Hatchitt]

Judy Hatchitt woke suddenly her eyes flashing open and her chest heaving from the nightmare she'd had. It took her several moments before she came too... several minutes that took her to realise that they weren't at Hogwarts... nor were they at their house at Ottery St. Catchpole.

She moved her arm up to rub her face and realised, seconds too late that she'd rolled to the edge of the bed in the night she gave a squeak as her other hand flailed to keep her on the mattress instead catching hold of her sheet and pulling that to the floor as well as she sat tangled a such in her own sheet. She untangled herself and threw her sheet on the bed, hoping that none of the other rooms sweet sleepers had witnesses her less then graceful fall out of bed.

She stayed on the floor however and crawled out the door on her hands and knees she caught sight of one of Noah on his way to breakfast and grinned as she leapt to her feet and joined him for the meal, a rather large meal... though after that was done she greeted her grandparents and learnt that, rather predictably her parents had left early that morning to experience the 'joy' of the countryside. The thought annoyed her so she'd decided to bug Mina instead... though after levitating her sheets out from under her late sleeping sister she got bored of it all and decided for a walk around the property.

She noticed her cousin Connie flying from a distance and followed her to where Mina stood on the path, grinniing she approached the two Gryffindors, with a skip to her step. "Keeper? Does that mean we're having a game?" She asked with a grin looking between the two girls. Whilst not somebody who loved Quidditch with the passion of some of her cousins or her sister she stilll enjoyed a game or too... and it was something exciting to do.

A/N: ... rereading... I just realized how offtopic this post is. sorry.... She wasn't feeling introspective but wanted to tell a story anyway... *hides*

[Constance Hatchitt]

"Oh but Mina, why in the world would you want to play keeper? Being a seeker is much more fun, and it requires much more skill. But," she paused dramatically, "if you must, you must. There's not much I can say on the matter." Grinning, Connie tossed the snitch up and let it fly. She watched as it flew out of view, the golden glimmer disappearing into the sun.

She mounted her broom, getting ready to fly up when she heard Judy approach. If they could get all the Hatchitts out here they could probably manage a real game, so Judy was just another welcome member of the team. "A game? Quidditch isn't a game!" Connie teased, "It's a way of life, it's freedom. Quidditch isn't a game. But, you're more than welcome to join us in our way of life. The more the merrier."

[Mina Hatchitt]

"Much more skill?" she echoed, raising a brow in wry disbelief. "Chasing a ball around in circles takes more skill than keeping two of them from speeding through three hoops? I think not."

Closing her eyes, she leaned forward, directed her broom toward the little clearing's center, and shot off like a javelin, leaving the ground below her far behind. Mina's eyes snapped open, and she let out a whoop of pleasure as she turned unexpectedly, the wind ruffling her hair like an old friend.

A way of life? Yes, that seemed about right to her.

"Come on up!" she jibed, the sound of her voice muffled by the breeze and the distance between them, "The weather is perfect."

It was exhilarating to be in the air again-looping, corkscrewing, free of all inhibitions; it was a feeling she wished she could have experienced more often. "What position are you going to play, Judy? And-how are we going to have even teams with just the three of us?"

This was a dilemma indeed, but not one troubling enough to send her spiraling back down to earth-not when it was so fresh and satisfying up here in the sky.

[Judy Hatchitt]

The soon -to-be fifth year rolled her eyes at her over enthusiastic cousin not particularly caring if she was being rude. She really didn't understand what her elder sister saw in Connie. She knew there had to be something there but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what. It was probably something she missed completely being neither in a Gryffindor or in their year at Hogwarts. She wondered if Jesse first got it, and if he did he'd explain it to her if she asked him very nicely (or failing that, not so nicely).

"I'm not set on any position." She replied with a shrug as a thought occured to her.

"If we're going to have a game maybe I can get some of the other lazy bones interested." She turned and took off with a sprint, leaving her older sister and cousin behind as she went to find if there were any other Hatchitts interested in a quick game.

[Constance Hatchitt]

Connie grinned as the exhilarating sense of flying overcame her. If nothing, she could very well spend the last of her days on a broom. Everything made sense when you were off the ground. There were times when Connie would just fly towards the horizon, trying to distinguish where the Earth stopped and the sky began. There was a huge world out there, and Connie was going to find it someday whether her family approved or not.

She flew in circles, waiting for Judy to come up and join them, and instead she caught the last of Judy's words as she ran off to find the other Hatchitts. "Well, Mina" she mused, "I guess I'll play Chaser until they come back." And with that, Connie flew down, grabbed a quaffle and let the game begin.

[Mina Hatchitt]

Mina grinned, glad not to have to play seeker if it wasn't entirely necessary. It wasn't as though quidditch was ever actually boring, but she certainly enjoyed the prospect of playing Keeper far more inviting for a fair few reasons-not the least of which being that she was a rubbish seeker, and a sore loser to boot.

"You're on." she agreed, narrowing her eyes teasingly at Connie as her sister disappeared from view; hopefully, she would return with a slew of other Hatchitts in tow, since the 'more the merrier' certainly applied here.

"On your marks-3, 2, 1-GO!" Like a rocket, she shot upwards to the goal posts, hovering at the junction between the second and third, tensed to spring at any given moment. It didn't do any good to underestimate Connie, even playing an unfamiliar position; she was fast, and clever, and probably one of the best players Hogwarts had ever seen.

[Constance Hatchitt]

Connie once wanted to play Chaser. She loved the thrill of it. Flying at high speeds, avoiding being hit with bludgers, trying to outsmart the Keeper. Connie loved all of it. She could do this for the rest of her life and never feel anything other than content. But being a Seeker was Connie's niche in the game. That was her one true love, and it was the only thing she knew she'd never be able to live without.

Carrying the quaffle tightly in the nook of her arm, Connie flew towards Mina and the goal posts. She was going to win, there was no doubt about it. And when she did win, she would have bragging rights for the next century.

As she neared the goal post, Connie began flying towards the goal post unguarded by Mina. It appeared like the only logical choice considering Mina was near the other two. But then, she quickly changed her mind and dove towards the third hoop instead, grinning as the ball flew from her hands and towards the goal.