Kicking the Football open

location Grounds date 11/05/2026 word count 231 banner credits corrine aelina

Kicking the Football

Sometimes, Denise wants to kick a ball. Not a magical zippy ball. A regular, normal football. Denise has been in countless unofficial Quidditch and Broomracing matches; she misses the mundane aspects of regular Muggle sports. While pure-bloods and half-bloods see Quidditch and Broomracing as the norm and might strongly disagree, Denise still thinks otherwise. Regular and "normal" Muggle sports still have a place in Denise's heart. She was outside in the grounds today, minding her own business. But then, she saw a rush of black and white... Not a chess piece, not a panda or zebra, a football. A regular football. Denise might have to cry from tears of joy seeing a normal, unmagical football in the most magical place of existence she knew. Just a normal ball. There is a football club in Hogwarts, but they do not have enough players to create teams of 11 for now. Denise was rather disappointed; she never played football, only lacrosse, but really craved something mundane. Clearly, even the most spoiled and narcissistic purebloods have to agree. And then, a ball. A boy was kicking it to the net closest to him. Denise didn't know this boy, but she craved to join. He looked like a first-year, just like her. "Can I join?" Denise asked meekly. She didn't know what response to expect. Denise thought, Was the request too rash? Out of place? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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actions + ooc notes joining @Paul Turner in kicking a football mentions @Paul Turner @Alex Adams outfit link dialogue #847D7F thoughts italics stats sta 7 | eva 5 | str 5 | wis 7 | arc 5 | acc 6 -♡-

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Date: May 11th
Time: Afternoon
Place: Plain slot on the grounds
People: @Denise Yarbrough, @Zephyr Deakin@Alex Adams but generally open to anyone!

Paul wouldn't do without football. Football had always been life and soul for the boy. It was stitched to his personality, like a Gryffindor logo to his robe. It defined him. Without it, he wouldn't be Paul Turner. A feature inherited from his mother, perhaps, which eventually resulted in what seemed to be an infinite amount of years spent on this passion, delight, sweat and blood. Well, the latter only figuratively, obviously, but still. The time that Turner spent playing football for his local team, as well as the effort that he had invested in his favourite sport, were priceless.

His whole family spun around football, and so did his Muggle life. To the sport, seven members of Turner family had to adapt their lives. He had trainings in the early morning and after Muggle school. It wasn't easy to give up the routine when that was the only set of things you were used to for more than seven years of your life. More than a half of the not-so-long period. Thus, there was no wonder that the boy felt the urge to continue training at Hogwarts, if not to win football matches like their team used to, then, at least, to stay occupied with some physical activity. Although for the boy, it wasn't just about moving, but also a manner of keeping in touch with his Muggle hobbies and his life before Hogwarts.

Every afternoon, therefore, once the last lesson ended, Paul went outside, notwithstanding the weather, to either run, or kick the football around the lawns. Two activities he knew best. His legs were automatized in, that he didn't have to think much when doing them.

Hm, maybe, that's another reason why you enjoy football and running so much, Paul. It helps you get your mind off school, learning, and most importantly, writing. Ran through the boy's mind.

So, Paul was kicking the ball in front of himself, in zigzag pattern, across his provisional football field, where the nets were really just four plastic, obstacle markers which he had brought from home for exactly this; playing with some folks.

Once Denise came to the field, he stopped running, preventing the ball from continuing where he directed it, by putting a foot on it. He got an opportunity to look up at her. She was pretty much as tall as him and she hardly looked any older than eleven. The corners of the boy's lips twitched up, and he graced her with one of a variety of smaller, Turner smiles, perhaps, a little crooked ones.

"Hey... of course. Just try to keep up." In his eyes, flashed challenge or mischief - call it as you wish.

With that, he started to kick the ball again, trotting after it, not too quickly, but not that slow either. It didn't take him long to hit it from the right side, so that it would go to the left side, to Denise.

With that, he started to kick the ball again, trotting after it, not too quickly, but not that slow either. He could score by then. Or he could pass the ball to Denise. It didn't take him long to hit it from the right side, so that he'd pass it to the girl.

And then, he noticed some boy making his way to their provisional football pitch. Paul remembered seeing him around, but not ever talking to him or getting to know him. The guy asked if there was room for one more player, so Paul nodded. "Hey... sure, bro. Me too! Best sport ever'n'let the Quidditch players say what they want." Paul took a deep breath after that, as he was running slightly short of it. "I'm Paul, by the way. Don't believe we've talked before... either of ya." His eyes flicked from Zephyr to Denise.

Date: May 11th
Time: Afternoon
Place: Plain slot on the grounds
People:Primarily @Alex Adams in this post. Otherwise open to everyone!

There wasn't a group that Paul would be part of. Yet, he was the very opposite of a lonely wolf too, strangely. The boy was ready to be friendly with everyone, every group, every person. It was like a reflex for him, something that he could not really control or prevent for that matter, for it was his nature. Spontaneous and friendly. Yeah, but the world is full of idiots, as your mum says. You have to be ready for meeting some, this castle is huge, after all. Warned the realistic part of his mind. The boy chose to shake his head, likely to shake the annoying thought off.

He was looking at the nearest goalpost, when another person appeared. It was a girl with short, brown hair, whom he recognized from the common room but did not know her name yet. Strange, how many of such people there are in Gryff. Dammit, we should throw some event... some meeting in the Common Room to get to know one another! It's quite a shame that we don't know each other, to be honest. Again, his brain started producing thoughts, and the boy wandered away in his thoughts for a bit.

He then breathed in to greet the newbie on the pitch. He also felt restless so he moved his foot forward and backward multiple times, probs to not just stand still. "Hiya! Not at all! Paul... Pleasure." Did he huff, then waved at her and smiled. "So, I guess there's no need for any strategy, as long as it's just the four of us. I'd say we split into teams. A boy and a girl in each?

Code by Fawkes Chaos

WC: 212

Interactions:@Paul Turner, @Alex Adams, @Zephyr Deakin & @Denise Yarbrough

DATE:11/05/26 TIME: Afternoon

Outfits:

Reducio

https://i.postimg.cc/gkM3WP59/Gym-outfit-inspo.jpg

Flame walked down the steps of the school and looked around. She was bored and wanted to be outside. She had just walked around the school checking to see how full the sign-up sheets were for the soccer team she wanted to start. She was pissed, because they only needed one more player to make a full 2 teams for 7 v 7's. While she was looking around, she spotted a couple of students from the school kicking around what looked to be a Soccer ball! She let a grin slip onto her face. Perfect. Now she had something to do. Flame started winding through groups of students to make her way over to where they were standing.

When she finally reached them she took in who was playing. She saw Alex, who Flame had hung out with a bit before. She saw two of the firt year Hufflepuffs, and then she saw one of the Gryffindor first years. She recognized him from around the common room and stuff but didn't think she had ever really talked to him.

Flame jogged up to the edge of the circle. "Hey Guys!" She called out. "Mind if I join you?" Flame hoped they wouldn't mind her interupting them.

Date: May 11th
Time: Afternoon
Place: Plain slot on the grounds
People:@Denise Yarbrough, @Alex Adams @Zephyr Deakin @Flame Afterglow but generally open to anyone!

"Uh, thanks! And good idea. Maybe we should do a house dispute"

Paul listened to Alex's idea about team division, shrugging. He didn't really care about what the teams would be. He had no favourites. He actually barely knew either of them. There were four players, a number easily divisible by two, which was all that mattered.

"Yeah, I don't mind. It can change later anyway. So, it's us against them..." Claimed the boy.

Paul then tried to pass the ball to the Gryffindor girl, with a smooth, short kick, running towards the nearest goalpost, running forward past Denise and Zephyr, to start off another action. Go for it, Turner! You might score! Suggested his mind in a supportive manner.

When he was closer to the goalpost, he turned around, waving his hand at Alex to pass the ball to him. "Hey! Over 'ere!"

Come on, Gryff girl! We have a chance to score! If we're fast enough, we can use the element of surprise and put it to our advantage! Ran through his mind.

At that point, another person showed up at the pitch. It was a long-haired girl, whom he knew from the common room.

"Hey!" Waving his arm to call the newcomer closer, Paul stopped the game for a moment, by showing a T with his hands, as for timeout. "We're uneven now, guys, but that's fine. We can use you," he pointed at Flame, "as a joker player who plays for the team that's in possession of the ball."