flying high [Addy]

[grey xavier slater]

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August 18th, 2028

It wasn’t very often that one got to report about Quidditch on their own sister, but here Grey was watching a Harpies practice with Addy taking the helm as a beater. She had been signed on as a reserve after abruptly (and smartly) leaving the Ministry. The smug look on his face when he randomly bumped into his mother a few weeks earlier in Diagon had told the Slater matriarch all she needed to know about who had pushed her youngest into the career change. Grey liked to view it as a guiding hand more than a bad influence, as ultimately the final decision was all Addy’s. All he did was sit across the table from her and offer reasonable options for both jobs. She did the rest.

The fact that choosing for themselves was such an issue for their parents said a lot about the environment that they grew up in. He was personally never competitive despite being pitted against Claire, and the signs were all there that he was going to ‘rebel’ and do what he wanted. Like the good little Gryffindor that he was, of course. Taking the brunt of his mother’s ire was perfectly fine with him as well. While neither of them deserved to be chastised for their decisions, Grey had no problem if it all came back onto him. He also had an inkling that Claire would eventually see through it all too. She was dense, but not stupid. Getting her to come around to it all and realize how messed up the last several years had been would be difficult but he figured that between himself and Addy, they could wear her down and get back on friendlier speaking terms at the very least.

Sitting in the stands of the Harpies practice pitch, Grey had been busy scribbling down notes concerning several of the players on the team. A bit of pre-match scouting, essentially. He was most likely not going to be the reporter assigned to the team’s next match, but if there were changes or injuries on the roster, it was nice for the Prophet to have that going in. The readers needed to know, after all. One of the more specific changes that had happened recently was Addy filling in for Luna Trelawney as one of the beaters. He’d had a small boost to his ego when he heard the news, Cormac telling him to calm down because plenty of the Quidditch beat had family members actively playing. Cormac could also pound sand because he was washed up and still tried to compare himself to his son, but Grey didn’t dare say that to his face. The man was relatively good at his job despite being an ass most of the time. Their personal disagreements was a butting of Gryffindor heads. They would never agree on everything. That was just the way things went.

The squeal of the whistle halting practice momentarily had Grey blinking a few times. He’d gotten lost in his head about McLaggen’s narcissism and missed the last several drills. From what he could tell, it looked like they were going on a small break before doing an inter-team practice match. Standing up from his bench, Grey tried to wave down his sister despite her being halfway across the pitch. It was worth a shot to see how she was doing so far.

addilyn elara slater ● 565 ● Song by Artist

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[addilyn elara slater]

spice up your life

who would want anything else?

August 18, 2028
grey xavier slater

Expectedly, there had been no call or letter from the Slater matriarch congratulating Addy on her interim promotion to the Harpies’ starting lineup. Luna had taken ill, and Addy could see the concern in the faces of her new teammates. As a matter of fact, Addy had not heard from her parents at all lately. Doubt always clawed right at the edges, but all she had to do was kick off the ground and fly through the air to know she did the right thing. Brigh had been (quite literally) over the moon with the whole thing, not to mention the smug (and seductive) smirk on Jack’s face.

And it was a far step up from playing in some neighborhood league with her ex-boyfriend. It was funny to think where they stood now with one another. But whenever Addy thought about that or even her parents, she just pushed herself harder. A loud whistle brought her out of her thoughts and the zone she’d lived in for the past few drills. As she landed on the ground, Addy just about fell over at the unexpected pat on the back from the Harpies’ other beater and several of her other teammates. She played well despite being a Chaser by training.

She appreciated the praise and the break. Sweat matted any loose hair from her ponytail, and her hands appreciated the fresh air and break from her gloves. As a Chaser, she still felt a bit silly with the bat sometimes, but it was easier to pretend the bludger was someone’s head. Several names always volunteered themselves in her mind. As she drank from her green plastic Harpies water bottle, she spotted waving arms in the stands. People really underestimated how observant Quidditch players were. Law Enforcement typically took all the glory in that skill.

But how could she not recognize her brother? At least she wasn’t on the outside alone. Merlin, how could he have lived with this feeling all these years? Addy hopped on her broom to quickly reach the other side of the pitch, landing swiftly. ”Hey!” She smiled at her brother. ”You checking up on me?” Grey was her big brother, after all. Even if he conveniently worked for the Prophet writing about Quidditch.

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[grey xavier slater]

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It didn’t take long for Addy to spot him wildly waving his arms at her, though he was sure some of her teammates thought he was weird. Then again, they probably already thought that to begin with. The Harpies were statistical gods, after all, and his rapid-fire questions that came out during interviews always made a few of them look at him funny. But that was what he was at the Prophet for. They needed someone to focus on the numbers whilst the rest did actual reporting that readers enjoyed. Grey already knew that this was getting him nowhere, aside from an extremely niche position within the newspaper. One day though…the rest of the Quidditch world would understand. He had seen what the muggles had done with their sports and the analytics that accompanied it. He could already taste a number of books being written in his future.

”My editor thought they recognized the name, so I got sent,” he lied. He had actually petitioned for it, as any new players on the scene had to be scouted, in a sense. They needed to know what they were getting once a game rolled around, and anything that could help generate an article was worth reporting on. Whether or not his superiors utilized any of this totally biased information he’d just scribbled into his notes was still up for debate. If Addy ended up having a standout first match and lobbed a few bludgers the way of a superstar, then they’d definitely be looking through what he had.

”How’s the transition?” he asked, meaning from Chaser to Beater, though supposed it could apply to the career change as well. ”I don’t remember you ever practicing as a Beater in school. You’ve got a knack for it.” And that right there was why he had helped push her long towards going pro. Addy clearly had the talent to be a multi-position player. That rarely happened anymore.

addilyn elara slater ● 324 ● Song by Artist

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[addilyn elara slater]

spice up your life

who would want anything else?

August 18, 2028
grey xavier slater

Fortunately, Grey was not a stranger to these Quidditch pitches. Though neither were any of the Daily Prophet’s sports journalists. Addy never imagined their career paths crossing like this, but she had to say it didn’t feel bad at all. Within the lingering weight of guilt and rejection that followed her like some storm cloud of their mother’s creation was a sense of relief and, more importantly, happiness. Addy had the strength to push through the fog and sit at peace with her decisions for the first time in years. Now, if only she could get over that feeling of bitter regret whenever she thought of all the time lost sitting behind a desk.

”Really?” Addy was sure those connections worked well in his field. Her first thought was wondering if the same was true for the McLaggens. From what Cheese had told her, it was hardly harmony between father and sons. She shrugged lightly, ideally, she would have liked to remain a Chaser. But Beater wasn’t all that far off the mark. You still chased after something with a further goal after that. ”I didn’t often.” She explained. ”My first few years, our Captain had us rotate during practices, well, most of us.” While the team had contained talented individuals, she recalled a couple that simply could not play other parts. But it didn’t matter if they could handle their primary spot.

”And I would fill in as seeker or Beater when I was Captain.” It inevitably happened that a player was so sick not even a pepper-up potion could get them on their feet for a practice or a scrimmage. But Addy didn’t think too much of it. It was hardly enough time in those positions compared to her time as a Chaser. She was also a decent Seeker, considering her smaller stature and speed on a broom. Unfortunately, Keeper was her worst spot if she had to rank them. ”I guess I’ll fill in as long as they need me.” Addy shrugged. She wanted a chance to get off the bench, which required an existing player to leave the team. Her feelings were mixed on the issue, but one’s gain was always another one’s loss.

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[grey xavier slater]

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It made sense for newer players to test out every position. Historically, there were players that made position changes midway through their careers and ended up becoming superstars later on. Strangely, it usually seemed to be whenever Seekers switched to Keepers that had the most impact. He imagined it had to do with the speed and tracking abilities that most Seekers had ingrained in them. Going from covering more than the pitch to just three goalposts was seemingly easy for them. They also tended to have more uncaught blocks than the average Keeper, leading to unusually high rebounds both offensively and defensively. None of this applied to his sister, of course, but it still popped into his thoughts when she mentioned it. Clearly his brain was committed to statistical analysis still. ”That makes sense. Never know when a new player will have a breakout in practice,” he added.

”Hopefully it becomes a permanent position,” Grey mused. Then he could brag to his coworkers about it. The only other person in the department that had a family member currently playing was Cormac, and everyone loathed hearing about his eldest because he never stopped talking about it. A lead editor even told him to shut-up when the news broke about Mickey becoming the Bats’ new captain. ”But if you don’t, at least you’ll have in-game time. That’s a step above any of the rookies that are sitting in the amateur league right now,” he continued. Personally, he thought the Harpies had gotten lucky here, biases aside of course. Addy had said it herself; she could play virtually any position and was adaptable to whatever the team needed. Not many could just join the team as a reserve player and then pick up a Beaters bat and do it well. The current play style of the league didn’t work that way.

Thinking about what he had just watched, he flipped through his notes and tapped the pad with the tip of his pen. ”Is it fine if I give some criticism?” he asked her. There were a couple of points he had noticed throughout that he thought were worth bringing up. Namely on her follow-throughs after knocking a bludger away.

addilyn elara slater ● 367 ● Song by Artist

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[addilyn elara slater]

spice up your life

who would want anything else?

August 18, 2028
grey xavier slater

At its core, Quidditch required a similar skill set regardless of the position. At that point, other factors came into play. She thought of Cheese and how he had been a Seeker on his house team, but his growth spurt had put him at a bit of a disadvantage in terms of speed, but long arms probably helped. Addy was far smaller and better fit for positions that required speed and agility, and Merlin she could focus well when up there amid all that chaos. She lightly shrugged, mostly to ignore, knowing that she’d be back on the bench at some point before the year’s end.

”You’re right—but we’ll see.” It wasn’t like Addy to doubt herself, but it felt far too familiar these days. ”I still want to stay a Chaser if possible. You should’ve seen Millie’s face the first time I got a couple goals past her.” Luna had even remarked on the rare event. Their Captain was a brilliant leader and Keeper, and definitely not expecting such a move from someone new and that rusty. The current Chasers were excellent players as well. ”So far, I’m on the lineup for our next match.” The way her heart had skipped a beat as she saw her name on that lineup. Even the memory gave her goosebumps, and then Brigh had blown up her phone when Addy had texted her a picture.

Immediately, she was brought back to Earth when Grey spoke. Addy raised an eyebrow, a familiar sight for a Slater woman. A challenge of sorts, with a similar stance included. She crossed her arms and leaned her weight on one leg while waiting for her brother to continue. ”You seem like you’re dying to tell me.” Sarcastic, but without the bite one might expect from Claire or their mother. Routinely, Addy had to tell herself to sit and listen when feedback was given—she didn’t need to make enemies on her team or whatever family still spoke to her.

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[grey xavier slater]

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Getting one over on the Captain and Keeper was good enough work, in his own opinion, but doing it multiple times after just joining the team? Grey was starting to get the impression, between Addy’s comments and what he had personally just witnessed on the pitch, that the Harpies were beginning to understand what they had at their disposal. A multi-position player that had gone under the radar for a number of years since Hogwarts play and was now a bit of an enigma. A secret weapon, of sorts. The fact that it was his sister got him unbelievably amped for the coming matches. He also really wanted to rub Addy’s success into Cormac’s face. Anything to get his older coworker to stop being an arrogant, smarmy ass.

”Merlin, now I’m really looking forward to that match. Even if you are penned in as a Beater.” Any sort of positive turn for her was bound to come out as a success. The only problem he could foresee, and this was a common trend for rookies, was getting overwhelmed by the caliber of the other pro players. It had even taken him a bit of time to really get a decent grasp on the professional level of play after watching Hogwarts Quidditch for seven years. The transition was a wakeup for quite a few young players. Joining mid-season when others were already in peak form also had him slightly worried for his sister. Hence the criticism he wanted to provide.

”Just about your follow throughs whenever you bat away a bludger,” Grey said quickly, noting the tone Addy had used. ”You leave the opposite side of your body exposed for a second or two, sort of like you’re just floating still. A lot of the more aggressive Beaters in the league will take advantage of that and try to keep you tied up with more attacks. Try to catch you off guard, basically.” He’d seen enough matches at this point that he was certain it would be helpful. ”When you swing, lessen your torso rotation. It won’t hamper the hit at all, and should keep your balance the same.” Grey went through the motions to show what he meant. He had seen a similar occurrence with American baseball players whilst they batted. Those that had deep swings were slower to run around the bases. He figured a similar application could be made here too.

addilyn elara slater ● 403 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[addilyn elara slater]

spice up your life

who would want anything else?

August 18, 2028
grey xavier slater

Playing as a beater was the main source of Addy’s doubt on the Pitch. It was not her primary position nor her favorite, but she managed. At this point, she hoped for a spot to open up on the starting line, though Addy had to admit she was open to interested teams. Joining the Harpies was a dream and a goal for a player like Addy, but she wasn’t keen on sitting on the bench for a long time if she could help it. But Addy kept all these possibilities and plans to herself for now.

Grey proceeded despite Addy’s sarcastic invitation. Years of dealing with their mother and Claire had certainly given him a thick enough skin to do so. As the youngest, Addy wasn’t likely to ever make a dent in that armor. Slowly, she crossed her arms as she listened to Grey’s commentary. ”Right—I know. It's not my usual position.” A slight hint of defensiveness entered her tone, but mentally, she noted her brother’s suggestions. This just meant she had to practice harder. Waiting a moment, she considered his final suggestion. ”Balance isn’t the problem. Most of the league’s beaters are so bloody tall…” Luna wasn’t much taller than Addy, but she’d also played the spot for many years. Moments like this left Addy kicking herself for ever turning down scouts in her seventh year.

Reminding herself that manners existed, Addy nodded, acknowledging all he’d said. ”I’ll keep all that in mind. Thanks.” She couldn’t honestly remember the last time she had seen Grey so excited about anything. For years, she’d grown accustomed to the slightly gloomy and apathetic figure who acted as if entering the family home caused him physical pain. This was a whole new side to him, and for what it was worth, Addy was glad because Merlin knew that when left alone with her thoughts, all she could think about was this new and unplanned path that terrified her.

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[grey xavier slater]

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Grey knew that she knew what she was doing. She wouldn’t have gone pro if that wasn’t the case. To even go so far as to take a position she didn’t know well at all was impressive, and clearly the coach thought the same thing. He tried to think that his advice wasn’t unsolicited too. Trying to give her as many tips and tricks as possible to survive the onslaught that she was about to receive from the rest of the league’s beaters. They were an unrelenting force and quite a few took joy in knocking rookies off their brooms with little to no effort. ”Sorry. Not trying to tell you how to play. You know better than I do what its like up there.” He could watch every match until the end of time but would never understand how the game actually felt to be played. That was on him for never hopping on a broom and giving it a shot. Watching, reading, and writing about it was his own way to absorb everything about the sport. Not everyone was meant to play Quidditch, because if they were, it would be boring as hell to watch.

He wanted to add that she could definitely use her size to her advantage, as the aerodynamics of smaller players tended to benefit most positions on the pitch. Obviously she also had left surface area to hit a bludger with, but there were drawbacks to it too. ”You’ll do fine. Healing spells have come a long way over the last few decades, and having healers right on the pitch increases chances of surviving by tenfold,” Grey added jokingly. No rookies had died in their first matches in almost five years, and that was only because the last one had gotten clubbed in the head on accident with a bat and then was smacked with a bludger on the way down. The odds were completely on Addy’s side, and she wasn’t anywhere close to being as bad as that player had been.

addilyn elara slater ● 338 ● Song by Artist

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[addilyn elara slater]

spice up your life

who would want anything else?

August 18, 2028
grey xavier slater

Addy loosened her arms. Somewhere after Grey’s advice on swinging the beater’s bat, her arms had tightened across her chest. Not until after she became aware of her posture did that feeling of déjà vu wash over her. Exhaling, Addy forced herself to relax. Merlin knew she would wake up sore and aching tomorrow without the additional tension on her muscles. She nodded at Grey’s apology. It wasn’t terrible advice—it was good, even, but Addy wasn’t sure how to respond. Like any feedback or criticism, she stood fast and took it all in.

Quickly, her eyes returned to Grey. Healing spells? Suppressed memories seemed to flood her mind. Phantom pains briefly surfaced as old injuries resurfaced. ”Right.” She responded sarcastically. As far as she knew, there hadn’t been a death during a match in some time. Well—if one didn’t count the attack at the Quidditch Final. ”Well, they say I’m overdue getting knocked off my broom.” She shifted to her other foot uncomfortably. ”Apparently, it’s a right of passage.” Whether or not it was true was yet to be determined. As a chaser, Addy had come into contact with bludgers, teammates, and opposing players at times. As they all did. But her worst fear was some career-ending injury just as she was getting started.

She glanced around momentarily, glad they were not directly in front of the benches. A question had lingered in her mind for some time now. ”Grey—I know you get to watch all the teams.” Addy opened her mouth, hesitating where to begin. ”I know this isn’t forever…do you think there’ll be an opening as a Chaser this season?” Addy had spent years as Luna’s teammate before becoming Captain. She’d hardly give up Quidditch over her dead body, likely haunting the pitch. She had momentum now. Addy wanted to use it before she fell through the cracks.

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[grey xavier slater]

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A laugh rolled out of him at his sister’s comment. A rite of passage? That was definitely a thing he had heard before. Even muggle sports tended to have similar traditions, like with American baseball whenever a rookie hit their first homerun and their entire team would ignore them after. Grey personally liked that one because it acted like a welcome to the league. Whether or not falling off your broom was an equivalent was definitely up for debate. ”Don’t wax your broom too well beforehand…I’ve heard some players obsessively do it because of sponsor deals, but that’s one-hundred percent the fastest way to get thrown off…” Especially the Santini’s Shellac Sheen brand. While nice looking, he’d heard rumors that it was way too slick and ended up hindering broom handling most of the time. The problem was that a lot of young players bought it because of how cheap and easy to get it was.

Addy’s next question was an interesting one. He technically did have all of the information to sort of figure these things out. He thought about it for a moment, tapping his notebook with his pen while he tried to formulate an answer. ”I mean…there are always openings. I think depending on how your matches go, that will definitely determine what happens going forward.” Grey didn’t know of anyone on the Harpies that was looking to leave at this point in the season, but that could always change. As for other teams…”The Bats might, actually. I guess what matters with them is how much you want to travel.” Though now that he thought about it more, it wasn’t like traveling from Holyhead was that much further from Ballycastle. With a little magic, all of that was infinitely easier too.

”Think of it this way though. Even though you’re going about it a different way than most rookies do, you’ll have more pro experience than any of the incoming ones next year.” That had to amount to something, right?

addilyn elara slater ● 333 ● Song by Artist

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[addilyn elara slater]

spice up your life

who would want anything else?

August 18, 2028
grey xavier slater

Addy shook her head. That made logical sense, although she had to admit it wasn’t the first thing on her mind. That felt like a ridiculous way to fall off one’s broom. Hopefully, she wouldn’t make that mistake. ”I’ll keep that in mind.” But how to stay on her broom was not the primary topic in Addy’s mind. Naturally, she was gearing up for the next steps. How to get off the bench permanently. This opportunity to play with the team was amazing, but it all felt for naught if it didn’t lead somewhere.

Grey didn’t answer immediately, which did concern her or maybe he was seriously considering it. In some ways she still felt like an intern and switching careers almost two years out the gate from school—Addy felt behind her peers. And that was not where she aimed to be. The only way to get caught up and get ahead was to make the first string and the starting roster. Her fear was quitting the Ministry was a stupidly impulsive decision after all, so Addy had to make sure that didn’t come true. ”Right…right…” Addy pondered a moment before hearing her name. ’Slater!’ Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw the other beater waving her over. ”I have to go. I’ll talk to you later, Grey.” She smiled warmly at her older brother before taking off.

[ end addy ]

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[grey xavier slater]

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The voice of a coach calling for Addy back to the pitch had drawn Grey’s ears as well, forgetting that he wasn’t the only Slater out here today. Occasionally the coaches for the other teams screamed at him for taking notes too long. Something about how they thought he was a spy for their rivals. Idiots. He’d never do that unless it was the Bats and they were paying him exorbitant amounts of galleons for it. And either way, there weren’t any new techniques out there these days that would give one team an advantage over the other. They also all knew that without the reports the Prophet journalists wrote, they would lose out on potential recruits for the incoming class of rookies. They needed him to be here taking notes, just as much as he needed the good graces of the clubs to keep doing his job accurately.

Addy seemed to take all of his info dump in though, so that was good at least. That was basically all he could do as a non-player. Turn his vast amount of knowledge from paper stats into actual gameplay tactics. He had no verification that any of it worked though. ”Yeah, I’ll see you around,” he said as his sister left back to the pitch. He still had notes to take before heading back to the office. Just thinking about having to go back indoors after spending the whole day outside like this made him shrink. Flipping to a new page in his notepad, Grey prepared his pen for the next line of notes he had to take down on Addy.

[The End]

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