hey there; missed you

[JASPER FRANKLIN LONGBOTTOM]

There were certain perks that came along with being a professional Quidditch player. For one thing, they got some weekends free after they finished playing. Another perk was getting to travel all around the world. Jasper Franklin Longbottom had always spoken about wanting to explore the world. He was just lucky that he had chosen a career that would let him do so. What’s more: blue was a very flattering color on him. He had thought, for sure, that he was going to have to wait on the reserve team. After all, Puddlemere United had been a very sought after team. Even if they didn’t always win, there was something prestigious about being the oldest team in the world. What’s more, he greatly appreciated being able to make it great once more. He still found it amusing that wands were banned at some of the games. There was also the whole, “allotted tickets per game”. He was sure his sister was almost getting tired of all the ones that he had sent to her.

There were also a couple of other people he had promised tickets to. So, he had gone to the officials at Hogwarts and asked when there was a Hogsmeade weekend coming up. From there, he had requested being able to pick up a certain student so that she could go and watch the game. When his request had been approved, it had all been a matter of getting her to agree to come to a game. He had made sure to send a ticket to Nina with the hopes that she could come. Trying to find her in the crowd before the game started had been utterly impossible. He had tried, and it hadn’t gone very well for him. What he had made sure to do was let her know that it was alright for her to head down to the lockers. He’d meet her at the entrance after he had finished cleaning up. Of course, he had told the guy in charge of watching them all what he had planned. He didn’t want Nina to end up getting hurt because he had forgotten.

So, he had showered as fast as he could. He had made sure that he didn’t smell like sweat and arrogance. Arrogance because they had managed to win; Jasper knew better than to think that they had won because of the likes of him. That would have been a lie. He and Bletchley had both kept Rosseau and Malfoy safe, and he had managed to stop a bludger from smacking right into his long-time friend James, but it hadn’t been because of them that they had won. There was no use getting a giant head about it. It had been one of the lessons he had tried to give to the Hufflepuff team at the very last practice he had called. It hadn’t even really been a practice. It had been his way of telling them that he appreciated all the hard work that they had given him. He couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with. He remembered, quite embarrassingly, tearing up and letting them know that, if ever he could help them, then he would. He also warned that he was going to come back at some point and scare the living hell out of them if they did bad, particularly if they didn’t listen to whoever it was – Nina, he knew even then – was going to be the one to replace him the following year.

Regrettably, Jasper hadn’t made it out to Hogwarts yet. He had promised his sister that he would, but he hadn’t had the chance. Thinking of it, he would make sure on the next Hogsmeade weekend that popped up to do so. As he leaned against the wall, he scanned around for the familiar redhead. Perhaps, he’d ask Nina when the next weekend was upon them.

@ninadevoll

[Deleted]

Nina was completely psyched to get a ticket from Jasper. First of all, she was going to get to watch one of the best Quidditch teams ever play in Puddlemere United, and secondly she was going to get to see her friend and former teammate Jasper again. She missed Jasper a great deal. He was her friend, her mentor, and big brother on the Pitch. What she knew about actually playing Quidditch, she owed mostly to him. She was not be Captain of the Puff Team herself today if it wasn't for him.

Nina couldn't find Jasper when she arrived, but she totally understood. He was getting ready for a big game after all. It was best to see him afterward, and Nina did not plan to leave until she did. The game itself was a wicked one, and Jasper was amazing to watch, but more than anything, this was about seeing and talking to one of her best mates again.

Finally, Nina turned to see the back of Jasper as he waited for her. She smiled and sneaked up on him before whispering in his ear.

"Looking out for those loose bludgers, love?" she said, before chuckling and facing him. She then gave him a long awaited hug. "Hello mate!"

JASPER FRANKLIN LONGBOTTOM

[JASPER FRANKLIN LONGBOTTOM]

Now that he had thought about it, Finny hadn’t been the only person he had promised he’d visit on one of the Hogsmeade games. It was a bit of a running joke that he was the heartbreaker of the group. At least, that’s what everyone told him. With everyone and their mothers – a Muggle expression he had become increasingly fond of, despite how old it was – seemingly pairing off, there were only a couple of players left on the official and reserve team that didn’t have a girlfriend or boyfriend. The Hufflepuff alumni didn’t mind it in the slightest. He was only eighteen – he had several years left before his mum and dad started hounding him about grandchildren. Even then, he might convince Finny to get them off his back. The life of a Quidditch professional wasn’t really a long one. He had a good ten years in him before people would start questioning whether or not he was too old for the game. That’s what some of the Muggles did with their athletes. He didn’t watch a lot of their sports; mostly because he didn’t understand them, but the Longbottom had grown up in the United Kingdom’s most popular wizard pub. He liked to venture into the Muggle ones every now and again. His favorites were the ones that showed rugby matches or this odd game called football.

He’d never give Quidditch up, but he liked to watch them. He liked to follow up on those old ‘players’ who had been forced to retire in a way of trying to plan out the life he was going to have. Jasper had always been a family man. It was realistic to assume that he was always going to be one. He might agree to what his parents had done – two kids. He’d have them close apart in age that they’d be able to play and look after each other when they needed to, but far enough that it didn’t absolutely kill him in expenses. All this was running through his mind as he waited for Nina to show up. It might have been easier for him if he went ahead and invited his other friends to come out to the game. At least, then, Nina wouldn’t have been as bored as she probably was sitting all by herself. Still, it was an enjoyable atmosphere. He didn’t think that she would have minded it too much when she’d be living a similar life the incoming year. He’d have even less time being able to watch her play there, so he was going to try his hardest to be able to. Still, he doubted that she was going to try for Puddlemere United. Not when she worshiped the ground aunt Ginny walked on. Occasionally, when he was over at the Potter residence, he thought about telling her that he had this friend – emphasis on friend because then his family and friends would get ideas – had the biggest woman-crush on her he had ever seen.

But, that would be embarrassing. He wasn’t a big fan of embarrassing his friends and family. Otherwise, James Potter would have something to fear on the team. “Ay!” He protested, wrapping his arms around her briefly and pulling back when the time called for it. He grinned at her brightly and gestured at her. “How are you going to come to a game dressed like that, Devoll? Where’s the jersey with my number on it that I sent you?”

@ninadevoll

[Deleted]

Nina laughed when Jasper showed a bit of worry about the jersey. Her light jacket did look a bit like a shirt. She unbuttoned it and revealed the jersey underneath.

"You know bloody well that I of all people wouldn't forget to wear it while I'm cheering you on," she said. "It just got a bit chilly on the way out and I had to put my sweater jacket back on. I'm beginning to think that autumn just sat aside and let winter on in this year. It's been wicked cold at school."

She then chuckled at her rambling about the weather.

"Anyway, brilliant game today," she said. "You kicked some serious arse out there. Oh, but watching you makes me want to play Pro so badly. I can't wait to graduate and try out for Ginny Potter."

She then offered her arm in a friendly manner as she began to walk.

"So other than life on the Pitch, how has everything been?" she asked. "You ever wake up in the morning still thinking you can to pop up and go to classes?"

JASPER FRANKLIN LONGBOTTOM

[JASPER FRANKLIN LONGBOTTOM]

It was good that she hadn’t forgotten. For a brief moment, the ex-Hufflepuff had debated kicking her arse and then kicking her out of the stadium for forgetting something as amazing as the jersey that he had gotten her. He had threatened Finny with the same thing the last time she had shown up to one of his matches without all her memorabilia on. Even though he was a player, that sort of thing wasn’t exactly cheap. He still had gotten it for her with his pay, and so he expected her to wear it when he had her come out. Just because Nina was more like his metaphorical sister instead of his actual one didn’t mean she was going to get less of the same treatment.If anything, Jasper expected more from her than he did from his real little sister! His real little sister who shuddered at the thought of getting on a broom for too long and who shuddered every time he kicked off and was up and off in the air with a bat in hand. He was well aware that Nina knew the game almost as well as he did, if not on par with him.

So, he nodded his head at her response, seeming finding it acceptable. “I know better than to think that you forgot. It might have been deliberate. Finny’s was deliberate. I chased her all around the pitch on my broom after everyone cleared out.” It had been his way of, kind of, getting revenge for running away from him like he had been about to commit bloody murder or something. Everyone who knew Jasper even a slightest knew that the blond was incapable of committing such a crime. As for how the weather was, he stuck his hands out. When he was playing, unless rain was falling upon them so hard that he could hardly see through it, he usually didn’t notice what the weather was like when he was out there. In a way, it sort of blended in with everything else. “I didn’t even notice it was chilly.” His voice was slightly sheepish, and he could practically see some sort of blush come to his cheeks out of embarrassment. Ah well; it was nothing the youth wasn’t used to. “Has it? I should probably send Fin some more long sleeved jerseys, then. She’s my favorite advertisement board.” He’d probably send some out to Kaelyn as well.

He grinned a little himself, especially when she smiled. Nina had always been one of his favorite Hufflepuffs. It was probably morally wrong, or something, to pick favorites, but the redhead had been so fiery and passionate about the game that he couldn’t help but admire her, especially considering the little speed demon that she was. “Well, it’s not like I’m about to let Potter and Malfoys get knocked off their brooms. It’d ruin their somewhat good-looking faces. Then, I couldn’t take them out to the pub.” Mostly because they would be whining about their pretty faces getting injured…or something along those lines. Jasper had known what he had been getting himself into from the moment he had fallen in love with the sport. “Merlin, no.” He laughed, shaking his head. “I wake up every morning with just enough time to shower and slide on clothes before practice on some days. When we don’t have training, I sleep through the day, mostly, or annoy mum in the pub.”

@ninadevoll
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Nina laughed as Jasper went on about Fin. Nina liked Fin a lot too from the times they had talked. Then again Nina liked most people she met unless they were a complete arse.

"I would have loved to have seen that chase," she said. She then frowned about the cold. "You know, there's something weird about the chill too... almost magical. Like something's wrong there..." Nina then stopped herself, not wanting to bring up negativity to the conversation. It was obvious something was wrong at Hogwarts anyway, given Aurors were walking about. Nina smiled at him again to lighten the mood.

"But I bet Fin would love those," she said. "I might ask you to send me some too and I can do a little advertising for her of my own." Nina chuckled at that. Nina then pretended to model the shirt before she broke out laughing.

Nina smiled about Jasper boasting about his Beater abilities. And why not? He was amazing at what he did, the best Beater she had ever seen.

"I'm very proud of you, Jasper," she said. "The team is proud of you."

Nina then chuckled about Jasper's busy life.

"Quidditch and the Pub," she said. "Oh how I envy you. I'm still trying to break myself at Hogwarts- studies, clubs, and of course Quidditch."

JASPER FRANKLIN LONGBOTTOM