meal for two | kinsey

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

ANA FLEW IN TO THE GREAT HALL WITH SKINT knees and a red face from flying. She'd fallen out of practise with her teammates on a high, her head light and hands bruised from gripping her beater. It had been a good day. Not only had she managed to rebound a bludger off the goal post and knock a broom side-ways, but she'd nailed a tailspin and only skint her knees showing doing a celebratory skid. But, it was finally tea time.

Belly grumbling, Ana bid her fellow teammates goodbye at the door as they split off to their respective seats. Still buzzing she scanned the crowd for a new face and landed on Kinsey's. She was sat at the Ravenclaw table, an empty seat beside her. Ana jogged to catch it before it was snapped up. She threw herself in to it before Kinsey could see her, slapping the table top with a cheek splitting grin.

"Kins!" Ana exclaimed, not pausing as she loaded up her plate with heaps of food. She was always starving after a practise. "Why're you sitting here alone?" She licked gravy from her thumb and sat sideways to catch her friends face, tearing a chunk out of a buttery bread roll. Ana had declared Kinsey a friend ever since she'd saved her from the Whomping Willow and gotten sick on milkshakes by the kitchens. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, I get you all to myself." She winked at her friend before spooning a mouthful of sweet pumpkin soup in to her mouth.

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey liked eating when the Great Hall wasn't so full. It was easier to not get so overwhelmed by all the varying intentions in the room when there were less people present. That didn't stop her from attending feasts, now that she was working to build up her resistance and her ability to focus on her own intentions instead of others'. Still, every once in a while it was nice to be able to relax and eat without having to concentrate so hard on other things. She was enjoying it today, taking her time to eat her food and relax when she heard someone approaching her. 

She smiled as her new Hufflepuff friend joined her, immediately grabbing lots of food. "Hey Ana," she greeted. Kinsey shrugged at the girl's next question, "I don't know. There were a few people here a bit ago, but everyone left and I was still eating. I don't mind." Really, it was more peaceful for her ability when they left, but she wasn't about to tell anyone about that. She laughed, "I'm not complaining either. It's nice to see you again. Just got out of a practice?" Kinsey wasn't sure if the girl was in Quidditch or if she'd been playing football or something else, so she wasn't particularly specific with her question. She was sure Ana would explain more anyway. She took another bite of her soup, smiling at her friend's enthusiasm. It was always fun to be around people like Ana.

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

TEARING OFF A CHUNK OF BREAD AND CHEWING, Ana was still smiling when Kinsey asked her what she'd been up to. "Quidditch, yeah." She answered after swallowing, she might be a bit of tomboy, but she had been brought up with a bit of manners. Her mum would kill her if she talked with her mouthful. "Did a mad good tailspin, you should have seen it!" She raved excitedly, gesturing with her hands as she demonstrated with a smooth bend of her wrist turning in to a rapid twist.

"Do you watch any games?" She asked after a second, slumping back in to her seat and spooning a mouthful of chicken and gravy in to her mouth as she waited for Kinsey's reply. Ana was a football loyalist, but she barely even bothered asking anybody if they partook any more. She'd been disappointed too many times. Quidditch was safer, everybody liked Quidditch. And the ones that didn't were usually a little too boring for Ana anyways. 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey wasn't surprised in the slightest when Ana admitted that she'd been at Quidditch practice. The girl was obviously excited about how the practice went and Kinsey laughed, glad to see her in such a good mood. It was definitely better than the last time they spent time together, when she'd lost her ball to the Whomping Willow. "Well, maybe you should let me know when some of your practices are? I could come and check out your moves sometime. Or we could go flying if you want?" Kinsey wasn't on her house's Quidditch team, but she was actually a pretty good player. She wasn't averse to playing with others, she just didn't want to be on a team. 

At Ana's next question, Kinsey nodded firmly. "I watch all the school games. Used to get tickets to go see the Falmouth Falcons, but since my brother isn't on the team anymore ..." she trailed off, pretending like that was the only reason she wasn't getting those tickets. Even if Dustin were still on the team, he wouldn't be sending her tickets. She was dead to him now. She shook her head, pulling her thoughts away from her brother. There was no use thinking about him right now. "Do you watch games or follow any teams? Or are you mostly focused on playing?" Kinsey asked curiously. There were two types of athletes and she didn't know which one Ana was. 

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

THOUGH ANA NEVER PRETENDED TO BE HUMBLE, she was very aware of her talents. It still surprised her when Kinsey offered to come see her practise sometime. "Oh!" She declared with delight, grinning happily as she shifted in place. "Yeah, I try to practise a little every day," She shrugged like it was no big deal, even though she thought it was. "But team practise is Thursday's and Saturday's right now." They tended to change depending on availability and upcoming team games. "Flying would be even better." Ana had tutored flying for the last two years, she was born natural. "I could teach you some of my moves." At that she winked, because she couldn't help herself.

"The Falcon's are great!" Ana butted in, enthused by the subject matter. She always got carried away when it came to Quidditch. Though Ana wasn't dumb enough not to notice the slight dip in Kinsey's tone. "I'm... more of a Appleby Arrow's fan," Ana said, out of loyalty. "My brother just transferred there this year." She'd been secretly overjoyed that she finally had her brother back in the same country again and it reflected in her smile. "Why doesn't your brother play for the Falcon's anymore?" She asked after a moment, mostly because she couldn't help herself.

Dipping a piece of bread in and out of her stew without taking a bite, Ana shrugged her shoulders easily. "I like a bit of everything." She played, she watched. It was a family tradition. "My whole family was sort of... raised on Quidditch, my dad used to play for Bulgaria's National Team." Shifting closer, Ana abandoned her bread in her bowl and leaned in to Kinsey as she gushed quietly, "Honestly, I prefer football." She admitted, which wasn't a secret but people had had plenty to say about it in the past. "It's... wilder." She said with a shake of her head and a sigh. "Like... feral." Self-consciously, Ana shifted her gaze from Kinsey's face and away, just checking she wasn't taking it too far. "I love Quidditch, but... football is... everything." 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey smiled, nodding when Ana explained her practicing habits. "That's really cool. Maybe I'll come watch you during one of your team practices." It sounded like fun, the chance to watch her friend and their team practice. Still, Kinsey was surprised when Ana said she'd rather fly together. Her eyes lit up, "You'd teach me some of your moves?" Kinsey didn't know how protective players were of the specific moves they practiced. She knew that there were some that Dustin would show off for her with but not teach her how to do. He'd told her he would teach her when she was older. That probably wouldn't happen anymore. She laughed, "I think that sounds like a lot of fun! I'd like to go flying with you."

Ana complimented the Falcons, which Kinsey definitely appreciated, especially when she explained that her favorite team was the Arrows. "The arrows are amazing," Kinsey agreed. "I can cheer for them now, if I want." She could cheer for anyone she wanted, though quite honestly, Kinsey wasn't entirely sure she wanted to keep up on Quidditch. At the moment, hearing about Quidditch scores just reminded her of her brother and how much she missed him. She looked up at the other girl when she asked about Dustin and then sighed, "He ran off with the beater. They were best friends for years and decided they were in love and wanted to be together, away from here." Though in all honesty, Kinsey was fairly certain that part of the reason Dustin and Evelyn left was to get away from her. Dustin didn't want to see her anymore. 

She started explaining how she liked everything, Quidditch and muggle sports. "Football," Kinsey said, trying to make sure she remembered which muggle sport that was before saying anything. "That's the one with the goalposts and people running around kicking the ball, right?" She offered an apologetic smile, knowing she was over-simplifying the game. "I know football. I watch it at home sometimes, but I've never really understood the rules. Maybe you could explain it to me sometime, or we could watch it during a break or something?" Kinsey wasn't sure if Ana would want to do that, but she was curious to learn more. "If you want," Kinsey added after a moment, feeling self-conscious herself now.

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

ANA HAD ALWAYS LOVED AN AUDIENCE WHEN IT came to sports. She wasn't much for drama, or theatre, but she'd always had a knack for performance. She felt sure, in fact, that she performed twice as good when the stands were full than she did when they were empty. It was the adrenaline of being watched. Of knowing that failure was not an option, in many ways. So, she liked the idea of Kinsey coming to watch her play.

"Uh, yeah," She stressed with an open mouthed smile, Ana was always a very eager teacher. "Then it's a deal." She was already running in over in her brain, thinking of the days she wasn't practising, or studying or sleeping. Honestly, seventh year didn't leave nearly enough time for fun, as far as he was concerned. "I can do the Saturday before Christmas break, if you're free?" She lifted a goblet of honey-flavoured fizz that popped pleasantly on her tongue, taking a great gulp.

"They are!" Ana butted enthusiastically, her loyalty to the Arrow's a fierce and ever-lasting thing. Though it may have had more to do with Ed and Dan. "We can always use another flag flyer," She nodded. "And you're welcome to come to a game, I always get tickets." She'd stopped trying to convince Landon to go with her when all he did was sulk and criticise the game's technique. Ana's smile, however, dropped slightly as Kinsey hesitantly explained why her brother didn't play any more.

"Oh..." Ana breathed, deflating slightly as she saw the sadness radiate from Kinsey. "I mean, that's kind of romantic..." She said tentatively, shrugging one shoulder. "I'm sure they'll come back eventually." Ana thought maybe there was more to it than love and romance, but she didn't ask. Kinsey's face told more of the story than Ana thought she'd like to hear. Plus, the girl looked sad enough already.

Ana was much more comfortable talking about football. And she found Kinsey's attempt to explain what she knew infinitely adorable, even if she was apologetic about it. "Yes, exactly!" Ana enthused, nodding her head as she sat up a little straighter. "It's... dirt and mania and just... it's amazing." She seemed to tremble with her attachment to it. Abandoning her bread in her bowl, she wasn't very hungry any more, Ana nodded her head and smiled. "I'd love that." She was always watching games, old and new. "You could even come to a match sometime, if you wanted." Landon also refused to see any Chelsea games with her. She was starved for her Chelsea fix. 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey was a little surprised by how much Ana seemed to like the idea of teaching some of her moves, how she said "yeah" like it was obvious. There weren't a lot of people that wanted to spend their time with someone they didn't particularly know well, especially this time of the year, but Ana was already offering to play with her the weekend before Christmas break. Kinsey nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, that should be great!" Kinsey was excited to have someone to play with and something to do other than school work. She was fairly certain she'd be caught up with everything that weekend, and now she had a good reason to. "I'm excited to see what you  have to show me," she teased a little, figuring that Ana wasn't the kind of person that would mind that kind of teasing. 

Ana was obviously a die-hard Arrow's fan, just the way Kinsey had been before Dustin left the Falcons. It made sense though, since her brother was playing for the team. She laughed, "You know, I think you're going to have to take me to a game to convince me that they should be my new favorite team." Kinsey was teasing, but she loved the idea of going to a game. She hadn't been since Dustin and she had their fight last summer and she missed it. Even if she wouldn't be watching her brother, she still loved the sport. 

Kinsey felt bad that she'd lowered the girl's excitement. It was hard though, thinking of Dustin. Most of the time she avoided it, only thinking about it when she was really sad or upset about Riley or something else. When one was already upset, it was easy to think of things to make you worse. Dustin was one of those things for her now. She forced a small smile, "It is romantic, and we all really like Ev, actually," she admitted, trying to lighten the conversation, shrugging when Ana mentioned that they'd come back someday. Maybe, but even if they did Kinsey was certain that Dustin wouldn't talk to her. He'd told her just as much and if she knew one thing about her older brother, it was that he could be quite stubborn. "You're probably right," she said, trying to make her tone more cheerful. Kinsey didn't want to sound all depressed and upset right now. It would only make things harder.

Football was definitely a good distraction from talking about her brother. Ana's face lit up as Kinsey explained a little of what she knew. Kinsey even laughed a little as she started talking about the sport, how it was dirty and crazy and amazing. Ana was so focused on talking about what was her obviously favorite sport that she wasn't even eating anymore and Kinsey found her smile widening as the Hufflepuff spoke. It was easy to cheer up when one was around someone so happy. She nodded, "I'd love to come to a match with you!" She chuckled a little, "Maybe we should watch a game or two first so you can explain the rules so I can be more into it during the actual game," Kinsey suggested. She did want this to happen, but she also wanted to be a part of it with Ana, which she thought was possible if she understood what was going on in the game. 

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

MAKING A SHOW OF FLICKING HER PONYTAIL ANA pouted her lips for a moment and basked in Kinsey's flattery, before quickly snorting and collapsing in to a smile. "You should be,"  She told her confidently. "I'll save my best stuff." And she would. Ana was a bit of a show off when it came to sports and things she was good at. Especially if she liked the person she was showing off to.

"That's a promise." Ana said firmly, lifting her brows at Kinsey as she thought about which upcoming games were possible. Probably not until Easter break, if she were lucky enough to go home. Otherwise, she was stuck at school and there was nothing over Christmas and New Year - that she knew of. "I'll keep you posted," She said thoughtfully, squinting as she ran over a few dates in her mind. The idea of having a buddy to drag to games was too good to pass up on, she intended to take full advantage.

Ana tried to see the bright side to Kinsey's situation, but even when she smiled Ana could tell there was more to it. That she probably missed her brother terribly. "Can't you write to him?" She said softly, reaching up to palm Kinsey's arm comfortingly. "I wrote to my brother all the time when he was in Bulgaria." He'd gone off to play Quidditch overseas almost as soon as he'd graduated, which had boiled Ana, but she still wrote to him, even if they were mean and snippy. She missed him too much, not that she'd tell him so.

"I know the perfect match..." Ana said thoughtfully, expression squinting as she thought about her top five. She hadn't even stopped to question Kinsey's reasoning for being so nice to her. Ana had simply latched on to the possibility and ran with it, so when she looked back at Kinsey she stopped for a breath. "I mean, once you get in to it it's... hypnotic." Ana said after a moment, relaxing her shoulders and leaning in to the table. "I'm getting carried away," She laughed, shaking her head. "I always get like this with sports," She admitted, shrugging one shoulder. "Free pass to tell me to chill." 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey laughed at Ana's answer. "I'll do my best to be prepared then," Kinsey answered, not asking any more questions on the subject and totally willing to let it drop. She was excited for the chance to play around with Ana. The girl obviously knew what she was doing and Kinsey definitely thought it would be fun to be with her. 

Ana promised to bring Kinsey to a Quidditch game, saying that she'd keep her posted and Kinsey nodded. Even when Dustin was on the Falcons, she hadn't had their schedule memorized so it was no surprise to her that Ana didn't know off the top of her head. At least, she didn't think the other girl knew. Still, Kinsey was more than willing to go with her. In fact, she was looking forward to it. She hadn't been to a professional game since before her fight with Dustin. 

It was hard talking to Ana about Dustin. Kinsey hadn't really told anyone except Toby about what happened with her older brother, not even her sisters knew the extent of their argument with one another. Her smile weakened a little. "I ... could probably write to him, but he wouldn't take the letters. I'd likely get them back in the mail, so I don't think I'll try." She sighed, figuring she might as well give Ana a watered-down version of what happened. "We got into a bad fight over the summer and Dustin said he wasn't going to ever talk to me again," she shrugged to try and make it sound not as harsh as it was. "I mean, I know siblings fight and stuff,  but this was different. He won't come to my parents house anymore and it's my fault." Kinsey stopped, not knowing how else to explain herself. She loved Dustin, but when he forced her to choose between him and Riley he didn't like her decision and he was more than stubborn enough to stay away from her for a long time. 

It was nice, talking to Ana about sports. Different, and Kinsey appreciated the change of topic. She listened intently, nodding to show she was still paying attention, and then laughing with Ana as she said she got carried away. "You're fine. It's cool that you have something your so openly passionate about," she told the Hufflepuff girl. "I honestly don't mind listening to you talk about it and I'm actually excited to learn more about it." More excited than she'd let on, but she was. Kinsey liked learning new things, especially when it helped her make real connections with other people. 

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

THOUGH SHE LAUGHED EASILY, ANA WAS PRETTY excited at the prospect of reeling another person in to the wonders of her favourite sports. Maybe Kinsey was simply humouring her, but Ana wasn't the type to politely bow out. She'd take advantage of that kindness as long as it meant she might actually help them enjoy it. As far as she was concerned, Quidditch was a sport for the wizarding masses. It was easy to love if you just paid attention, or so she thought.

"Oh..." She muttered, realising that perhaps there was a lot more to Kinsey and her brother than she'd thought. Not just a run of the mill bickering between siblings. "That bad, huh?" She said without really expecting an answer. "Hey..." She said, reaching over to place a comforting hand on Kinsey's back. "It's not your fault." She said this because it felt right. "You can't control how he reacts." She licked her lips and thought about it for a second.

"No matter what, whenever I fight with my brother." She shrugged her shoulders and pulled back her hand. "Even when he up and left us for Europe and I told him we'd never speak again..." He'd gone for Quidditch, which she'd understood, but it'd still hurt to learn that her big brother was leaving her behind. "I still missed him." A small smile started at the corners of her mouth. "And I caved eventually." She crossed her hands on the table and tried on an encouraging smile. "No matter what, I bet he misses you." She told her, feeling quite sure of herself despite how little she knew. "Just like you miss him."

She changed the subject because her forte had always been the lighter subjects. She pretended to wipe sweat off her brow and laughed. "Okay, good." It was easy for her to get carried away, but she had no true intention of stopping. "Though you might regret that." And then she went about grabbing salt and pepper shakers with the intention of detailing the bare essential rules of football to her new friend. Before she changed her mind.

- END, POSSIBLY? 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey was excited at the idea of spending time with Ana, of getting to know the girl better as well as the sports that she enjoyed so much. Besides that, Kinsey missed seeing Quidditch. She didn't get free tickets anymore like she used to. Then again, that could easily be attributed to Dustin quitting instead of him hating her now. 

She shrugged, forcing a smile when Ana seemed to understand that whatever was going on with Dustin was actually pretty serious. She nodded, "Yeah, it was a pretty bad fight." Kinsey didn't really like talking about it, but when Ana wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she found herself smiling ever so slightly. It was nice to feel that the other girl wanted to help her feel better. She nodded, "Thanks. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if he ever changes his mind about me." She wasn't really hoping for that though. Not after Dustin ran away and cut all ties with the family, basically. It felt like it was all directed at her, even if it wasn't. 

Ana started explaining that she and her brother had apparently had a similar row and that she'd missed him even after saying she never wanted to speak with him again. Kinsey felt her heart lighten a bit and she nodded. "Thanks Ana. I ... hope you're right. I miss him." She was starting to think that maybe writing her brother a letter would be a good idea. Even if he didn't answer, it would show she still cared, which she did want him to know, no matter what. 

Kinsey laughed when Ana said she might regret asking to be shown the sports more in person. "I doubt it," she challenged, listening with interest as the girl went on to explain more about the game. It sounded like fun and Kinsey was excited to go and see a game with Ana sometime. It would definitely be fun to be with Ana, even if she ended up not liking the game. Would that even be possible when Ana was involved though.

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

IT WAS THE BEST ANA COULD OFFER WITHOUT lying to Kinsey, and they weren't close enough for her to even consider doing so. Even if to protect her feelings. So she nodded, donning her most encouraging smile and shook her shoulder a little. "He'd be an idiot if he didn't," She said, nodding her head firmly. If it had been Edrik, Ana would have travelled first chance she got, even if only to smack her brother upside the head. But, she wasn't the type that was willing to wait around for anything. She figured Kinsey had a little more patience than that.

Even though she'd given her an out about sports, Ana pretended to consider her reply before breaking out in a smile. "Me, too." She said boldly, turning to her plate and reaching for a pumpkin pastie. They were still warm surprisingly. She took a big bite out of it, almost as if to congratulate herself for roping Kinsey in and chewed silently for a moment. "You know I think I'm glad I lost my ball after all," She said, thinking out loud as she swallowed, licking a piece of flaky pastry from her bottom lip. "Brought me to you," She knew it was a lame line, but her cheeks were pouched and her smile big, so she didn't mind. "My new game buddy."

- END 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!