{You're not even aware you're such a funny pair} andy/pm

Andy felt as if they had been walloping on each other for the better part of an hour now, and every time the bludger smashed into one of them, he fell a little further toward the belief that the game was a bit rigged. If they had only been hitting him, he would have been suspicious, but Ben took just as much punishment. It wasn't that, but he did have to wonder if the bludgers were a little bit confused by the dummies. They were powered by magic, and they didn't have exact instructions, but they had spent who knew how many centuries being flung at students playing Quidditch, so maybe they had gotten into the habit. Either way, Andy knew they were going to pay for it later.

And he was paying for it again, right now, as another bludger slammed into him while he tried to block. It was almost as if it changed course at the last second, and instead of tracking the dummy, it veered to catch him in the shin. Andy was better than most of the students at Hogwarts, maybe not Ben, but Andy hadn't become Quidditch Captain for now reason. He should have been able to block a whole lot more of these, and his shots should have been better aimed, or maybe it was just his way of making up excuses.

Reasons for why things that generally worked weren't working now, and even as his mind scrambled for these excuses, he realized this was going to make them even better. Sure they were missing and taking hits, and it hurt like hell, but this was a whole other level of training, and it could only propel them forward. And that excited the Slytherin. Barely recovering from the last hit, before a bludger slammed into his shin, Andy tried his best to ignore the sharp pain shooting up his leg. That was going to be tight later. Instead, he focussed on sending that same bludger right back at his friend (and hopefully the dummy this time, because after all, he wasn't trying to kill his beater right before the match with Ravenclaw)

[Targetting Silver dummy #1]

Rolled 1d2 : 2, total 2

Rolled 1d8 : 6, total 6

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

As soon as Ben saw the wind up he knew he wasn't going to be fast enough to stop it. What sort of player would be if he didn't at least try, though? Andy's bludger slammed roughly into the silver dummy just as Ben made it close enough where he got walloped with bludger himself as the dummy gave in to the strain. The magic holding it up kept it suspended for a split second before the dummy went careening into the dirt. He let out a pained groan as his ribs smarted something fierce before he forced himself to shake it off. The longer he stayed still the more it would hurt. He needed to keep flying and he needed to keep moving his arms.

He wasn't done yet, not by a long shot.

With gritted teeth the tall Slytherin made a quick, tight, loop around his remaining dummies. He rolled his shoulders in an attempt to get rid of the worst of the stiffness and he waited patiently before lining up his own shot. He refused to be left behind, the competitive streak in him surging forward, as his body lunged. He put the full force of his body behind the hit, focusing on his aim best he could, when you were hitting an iron ball that hard. The loud thwack was beyond satisfying and he hoped his aim was as good as the power he'd put behind that last swing.

{targeting green dummy #2}

Rolled 1d2 : 2, total 2

Rolled 1d8 : 5, total 5

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

Andy could imagine how Ben must have been feeling after that last hit as if he had been the target; his ribs ached sympathetically. If they kept up at this pace, it was doubtful they would end the night without a visit to the hospital wing. As seventh years there were a great many spells they could perform, and Andronicus had had enough practice with healing ones over the years of playing Quidditch, but it'd be a bit difficult to heal each other if they were barely holding on to consciousness. And the body could only handle so much. This was good training, though, if not a bit intense, so it wasn't as if Andy had any plans on quitting early.

He had managed to knock out one of Benjamin's dummies, and another was on its last wings, so he felt another surge of adrenaline as Ben sent the next bludger his way. The splitting sound of wood on metal echoed across the pitch, and from the sheer volume alone, Andy could tell it was going to be a tough one to block. The bludger zoomed toward his already weakened second-position dummy, and Andy rushed it. He managed to get his bat in between the bludger and the dummy, but the force of the shot was too much to be stopped, and it smashed into Andronicus' bat, sending vibrations that felt like they could break the bone rattling down his arm, and then knocked his dummy out of the game.

He blinked as the green mannequin fell to the floor, his arms aching, and switched his bat to the other hand as the bludger rounded the pitch. It wasn't his more muscular arm, but Andy had trained to be able to hit with both for moments precisely like this. The bludger had a lot of speed as it came back around, and Andy used the momentum to power his next shot. He only had a second to aim, but he hoped it'd be enough to knock out the one that was nearly out already.

[Targetting Silver dummy #1]

Rolled 1d2 : 2, total 2

Rolled 1d3 : 2, total 2

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

In Round Nine, starting with Ben's next turn, the dummies will begin to tire out. Replace the first roll with a 1d6. Three and up will damages targets.

At fucking last. Merlin's sagging sleeves but it was about bloody time that thing went down. It didn't make him physically ache any less but he was definitely perking up as he watched the dummy eat dirt. He felt almost sorry, too, because that would have been a hell of a save if Andy had pulled it off completely. At that angle though he was pretty sure his arm hurting a helluva lot. He was proven right when his friend swapped arms. It was an important aspect of being beater, actually, though most people didn't try. Ben had always been ambidextrous but he still favored his right arm. He played most games with his right so it stood to reason. In practice though it was important to swap back and forth, just in case, like Andy was doing.

He was fairly sure he hadn't broken anything at least. He'd had similar shots as well, though, and knew from experience that at the very least Andy's wrist hurt like a banshee. Maybe even his elbow. Bludgers were nasty that way.

He hovered in the air, gripping his bat loosely, as he watched the bludger loop around towards Andy. He tried his best to relax his muscles, breathing in slowly, as he eyed his friends next move. As soon as Andy made contact with the bludger Ben gripped his bat firmly, before shooting forward on his broom. From the angle he was at he managed to clip the bludger a bit, but not enough as it still sailed towards its intended target. The dummy didn't go down quietly though. It one last mighty heave, slamming against his shoulder, before puttering and dropping. It seemed as if he would't catch a bloody break, the things were out to kill him. He could feel yet another bruise blooming, bright and painful. Just like that they were even, again. He was both pleased and frustrated they seemed to be so evenly matched. Frustrating because he wanted to win, but pleased because there was comfort in having your partner to be so skilled.

So far, at least, he'd taken out the back half of Andy's diamond. He figured it would be easier for him to target the remaining dummies as well as harder for Andy to protect them from all sides. The tall Slytheirn surged forward, aiming front and center, as he wacked his bat against the iron bludger.

{targeting green dummy #1}

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

Rolled 1d8 : 5, total 5

Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3

There was barely a minute to breathe in between the shots now. While Andy could undoubtedly appreciate the defensive rhythm they found themselves in, his body was screaming for a rest. When Ben said he wanted to practice differently, the Captain certainly hadn’t expected him to have something like []ithis[/i] in mind. Regardless, quitting wasn’t an option, and as he watched a dummy slam into his opponent, Andy knew resting wasn’t either. He geared up for the next shot, engaging his core and sitting up as straight as his aching sides would allow on the broom, eyes wide open.

Ben took another shot, and given which targets were left, it was reasonably easy to guess which one the bludger was headed for, but that didn’t mean Andy would get there in time. Or that the magical ball of pain wouldn’t decide to change course at the last minute. Being a beater wasn’t always as simple as following, aiming, and hitting; sometimes the Bludgers had their plans, and sometimes they smashed into the dummy and then came after you instead. Andy didn’t reach his figure in time, and it took a wallop of a hit before the bludger turned its sights on Andy, and he was forced to protect himself.

Trying to move out of the line of fire but stuck between the remaining dummies, Andy bounced off the next one, and it bumped him back. Like some awful pinball game, Andy was battered once more by the dummy before he got out of what was left of his formation and cursed a few times. Irritation and adrenaline added a little extra oomph at the sassy bludger that hovered nearby, just waiting now for him to take another shot—blasted bludgers would kill them both.

[Targetting Silver dummy #5]
Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2
Rolled 1d8 : 7, total 7
Rolled 1d6 : 5, total 5

Merlin! Things were starting to get a bit intense weren't they? That was always the case once you started to tire, though. They'd both been out here a bit and had taken some damage themselves. Next time he wasn't definitely going to finagle these damn dummies to be less... like they were. Or maybe not. It really depended on the shape they were in when they got to the castle. He took a deep breath, readying himself for the next onslaught.

He had a moment in sympathy when he saw Andy get slammed against his back. That was definitely going to bruise. He was seriously going to be needing to buy a bigger replenishment of bruise paste. He wondered if they had any in jumbo size or something because at the rate they were going, well, they'd definitely benefit from it. And to be quite honest as much pain as he was in he was also having fun. Which if he knew Andy at all meant, of course, that they'd definitely be doing this again.

Much as he hated the front green dummy he was bloody determined to finish knocking it out of the sky. At least he'd made contact, right? That had been satisfying though not as satisfying as actually knocking it clean out of the sky. He took another deep breath, willing the bruising to remain an ache, as he pushed everything down and tried to focus. He waited patiently for the bludger Andy was aiming to make it towards him, tensing, as he remained center, in front of what was left of his own diamond. Wind rushing through his ears, Ben clobbered the incoming bludger, not having a chance to really take as good aim as he'd like from the adrenaline coursing through him.

Bloody hell what a rush!

{targeting dummy #1}

Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

Rolled 1d8 : 3, total 3

Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

If he had a second to think about it, Andy might have realized that he couldn't count the number of body parts that weren't aching, but he didn't. Almost as soon as he'd sent the bludger flying, the other beater had deflected it, and Andronicus smiled brightly. As much as they were gearing off against each other, they were also practicing to make their team better, and seeing his teammate excel gave Andy a surge of pride. It helped him ignore the soreness that was already settling in his tired muscles and get back in the game.

Ben's last shot hadn't taken his first dummy out of the game, but Andy could tell from the way it was levitating a bit lower than the others that it, too, was hurting. One more direct hit, and it would surely be out of the game, and the Captain was determined not to let that happen. Seeing his teammate succeed was terrific and all, but at the end of the day, Andronicus was still a Slytherin, and he wanted to win. He raced back toward Dummy #1, careful not to get in the middle of the others again, and blocked the shot with the skill he'd honed these last six years. Whether it was skill, luck, or just pure adrenaline, time felt as if it slowed enough for Andronicus not only to block the shot but also line up his following.

[Targetting Silver dummy #5]

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

Rolled 1d8 : 4, total 4

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

Well something could definitely be said about Andy's reaction time. It had been so  close to eating dirt, too. Utterly disappointing but it definitely made him dig his heels in. "Nice!" he hollered, appreciative, because his Captain's form was top-notch on that one. He could appreciate skill when he was in the midst of it, despite the fact that it made him harder for him to succeed. It wouldn't have been even half as fun with a less worthy opponent, though, of that he was certain.

Still, he definitely wasn't prepared for the quick volley back. He cursed, wincing, when he pulled at a sore muscle as he dove forward. He'd just gotten to barely clip the bludger as it sailed past him and slammed right into the center dummy. He had a split second to regret how close he was before he felt the dummy whiplash harshly right onto his left shoulder. He hissed, the breath leaving him, as he felt it flare intensely for a moment before fading. Bloody hell.

At least it was still left standing, despite the mighty wallop it had received. Best get his head back into the game! With a grunt, the tall Slytherin flew in a wide arc, spotting the bludger ahead and cocking his arm back as he raced towards it. He used him momentum to power his shot a bit as he aimed for the dummy that wouldn't give in to his shots.

{targeting green dummy #1}

Rolled 1d6 : 5, total 5

Rolled 1d8 : 4, total 4

Rolled 1d6 : 1, total 1

Andy managed to block off an attack, and that had given him another surge of motivation. The need to win, that Slytherin desire to be the best at whatever he did, kept him pushing forward. He smiled brightly at Ben's compliment, another sense of bravado washing over him. New fuel in his veins, Andy watched the bludger he'd sent hit the target, and it wobbled. Ben got caught in the momentum, but neither the dummy nor the other beater was out of the game yet. And that made the Slytherin frown. It was close but not out, and the game was still tied. He geared up, taking a deep breath, his ribs aching and watched Ben line up his next shot. It was easy to assume he'd aim for the half-damaged dummy, but Andy still wasn't able to wholly block the shot.

He had gone too far out when he took the last shot and getting back to the target with a half-broken wrist and who knew how many other bruises forming was quite the feat. It was almost as if his broom understood, but not even the extra jolt of momentum could get Andy back in time. Watching as the bludger careened into the dummy, and it twisted unevenly as it plummeted to the grass, Andy winced. Some small part of him thankful he hadn't been in front of the shot; he wasn't sure how much more of this his body could take.

But there was no time for that, and within seconds the beater was on the bludger, spinning around it and aiming for Ben's weakened target.

[Targetting Silver dummy #5]

Rolled 1d6 : 4, total 4

Rolled 1d8 : 4, total 4

Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3

It seemed to Ben that as soon as one of them got the edge the other would suddenly catch up. He should've been better prepared for Andy targeting the same dummy, and he was, but he just couldn't quite get the right angle to deflect the bludger completely. Solid enough second hit for the dummy to shudder, before sailing into the dirt. At least it seemed he was getting a better handle on not getting slammed. Still this meant they were even once again. Down to two each, now, which raised the stakes considerably.

He was tired, getting to that point where he was going to max out, and the bruising was tarted to twinge. His muscles were starting to feel like jelly but he refused to quit until one of them had won. He felt sure that Andy was of the same mindset. Which would his next target be? Center or flank? The beater, dove low, waiting to a good moment as the bludger sailed towards him. If he could get just the right angle... as the bludger got closer Ben dove, taking a wild swing, and aiming straight for the flank.

{targeting green dummy #3}

Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3

Rolled 1d8 : 3, total 3

Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

Tired seemed like a level Andy had passed some time ago; he’d busted straight through tired and exhausted and was nearing the point of absolutely drained. They were young athletics, teenage wizards with quite a bit of stamina, but they were still human. And Andronicus winced, just pulling the broom toward him to get back into a defensive stance after hitting the last bludger. It sailed for Ben’s target, another silver dummy falling to the ground. Three out each now, the game was nearing the end and knowing that was daunting. Andronicus was always careful to save a little in reserve for the end game, but this practice had taken more out of him than he had been expecting. Being beaten up by bludgers and enchanted dummies did that, he supposed.

Benjamin’s next shot came flying over, and Andy calculated the arc a bit slower than he might usually have. Even his brain was tiring out. It went to the side, and Andy rushed to follow it, but he was a lot slower than before. A lot less responsive. He needed to get his momentum going again; he needed to wake up and get back in the game, despite the growing need to lie down for a while. “Shit,” He cursed, realizing there was no way he’d make it to the bludger in time. It smashed into his dummy, doing a fair bit of damage, and Andronicus was surprised it didn’t fall to the ground. A little bit of luck, perhaps, but it jolted him as he took another shot. Aiming for the dummy in the second spot and hoping Ben wouldn’t get there in time either.

[Targeting Silver dummy #5]

Rolled 1d6 : 5, total 5

Rolled 1d8 : 6, total 6

Rolled 1d6 : 1, total 1

Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energy for the big, worthwhile things, for it isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out, it is the grain of sand in your shoe.

Getting enough air in his lungs was beginning to be a problem, he thought, even as the mantra stuck in his head. If he wanted to win, actually win and not tie, he needed to play smart. They'd already established they were roughly even and the only way forward was to play smart. To that aim, only one thing would get him the win, he just had to determine the risk-reward here. Conserving his remaining energy seemed the best move. Less movement was also ideal in terms of not making the bruises feel worse. He gripped his broom, watching in satisfaction as he hit its mark. Not quite enough to make it drop, though.

He hovered, deciding not to move, as the bludger Andy shot sailed straight back. It would take quicker reflexes than he had in reserve to deflect and that would leave his own shot week on the return, he analyzed, unhappy about both those things. If he waited, though, and used the rebound to fuel his own shot he had a better chance of clearing the board, sort of speak. He wasn't happy about deliberately letting his dummy get hit, there was no guarantee Andy wouldn't clear it, but even if he did so long as he was successful with his next shot it would still be even.

And then it would be down to the last ones, the last stretch. Risk-reward, he thought to himself ruefully as he watched the bludger sail right into the unprotected dummy with a crunching sound. It swayed for a moment but stayed up and he let loose a breath. He waited as the bludger rebounded, moving quickly and lining up for his own shot.

*Robert Service

{targeting green dummy #3}

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d8 : 4, total 4

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d6 : 5, total 5

Watching from the wake of the bludger he'd just sent toward Ben, Andronicus realized that the other Slytherin wasn't moving for it. He saw Ben look and then wait, and it only took the seasoned chess player a few seconds to realize it was calculated. Ben was tough, so Andy hadn't thought he was giving up, but he was also clever, so it made the most sense that letting the bludger go past him was on purpose. And as soon as he heard the crack of the bat, Andy understood why. It was a perfect shot, aimed just so that Andy could barely make out where it was headed. It was the sort of shot he depended on Ben for during games. The ones that kept the other team guessing it was trademark Benjamin, and Andy realized he didn't much care for being on this side of it.

He flew toward his central dummy, only to realize too late it was going for the flank again, double thinking himself and missing the block; Andy was irritated. "Good one!" He called out through gritted teeth. It was an impressive shot, especially this late in the practice, but Andy wasn't perfect; of course, he was a little sore about it. At least he didn't have any dummies smacking him around, making matters worse. At least he had that — for now. Andy swerved out of the way of the rebounding bludger and followed it a little further down the pitch; it left his dummies unguarded but gave him a tiny bit of grace when it came to lining up a good shot. He had his eyes on the nearly out dummy from the last turn, and he was going to put that thing into the ground.

[Targeting Silver dummy #2]

Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3

Rolled 1d8 : 8, total 8

Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

Blast, he thought ruefully. He almost had it. But almost only counted for exploding snaps or exploding charms. He watched as his bludger hit the mark, it toppled like it was going to go, before holding true in the air. He grit his teeth, annoyed, even as Andy's words registered. It was getting that point where both boys were bruised, tired, and hungry so he was fairly sure Andy felt the same way he did: irritable as hell. "Thanks!" he hollered back, because he could appreciate that it was a good shot. Only he wished it'd been just a tad more effective.

It meant he was going to have to hustle double-time, didn't it?

Only the strength and speed of that incoming bludger was nothing to sneeze at. He took a wild swing at it anyway, on principle alone, and he felt good about nicking it. Not that it did much as it slammed into the dummy hard enough to rock it backwards, wood splintering, before it gave out against the onslaught. Damn and blast but he was glad he hadn't put himself behind that thing. He wouldn't broken his wrist trying to deflect it at this point and he still had a game to win. He couldn't afford to injure himself further right now. Besides that was a bloody beauiful shot. "Nice!" he yelled, impressed despite himself, as he gave Andy a tired grin.

Two to one. Lets even things out a bit yea?

Ben gained sme altitude, changing things up a bit from his usual dives, and veered sharply to the left. It would look like he was trying to set up a shit to blast the middle but in reality we was angling his body to better attack the flank. Just as he'd set his sights on the bludger the tall boy rolled, slamming his bat against iron, as he steered it towards the top of the dummy, hoping to bash its stupid face in. He should feel proud that his charms work was that good, but right now he was supremely annoyed.

{targeting green dummy #3}

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

Rolled 1d8 : 6, total 6

Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3

Seeing Ben complete a rolling maneuver before smacking the bludger toward him, Andy instinctually knew this would be a challenging shot to block. Even if he wasn't exhausted and aching head to toe, it would have still been a nightmare to defend against. Good for the Slytherin Quidditch team - Bad for Andy. He grimaced, knowing how bad it'd hurt if he put himself between the bludger and the dummy, but it didn't matter anyway. Andronicus hadn't gotten there in time, and before he knew it, the dummy was falling to the ground unceremoniously. Smashed to bits, Andy knew how it felt, and he let out a rough breath. Everything hurt, but the game was far from over.

They were tied now, and there was nothing left to do but give it everything he had. Andronicus wanted to win this, and he was determined to do so. He chased the bludger as it rounded the pitch again, and even though it couldn't have been confirmed, he felt like he was starting to understand the bludgers movements. It had come back and forth on the pitch so many times in such short succession now, and it seemed like it always twisted just before the Ravenclaw blue and bronze stands. Andronicus waited for the twist and then wound back and aimed for another of Ben's targets.

[Targeting Silver dummy #4

Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

Rolled 1d8 : 2, total 2

Rolled 1d6 : 5, total 5