Quidditch is better with unlimited drinks (CLOSED: Travis and Astoria)

[sweetginevra]

The game had been amazing! The Hollyhead Harpies took down the Appleby Arrows 350 to 200. It had been a close game until the end when the Harpie's Seeker caught the snitch in an amazing show of flying prowess. Ginny couldn't have been more proud of her team

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[travis_briggs]

Now this was the real way to watch Quidditch - plush seats, gorgeous girl, and a lot of whiskey. The box seats were up and away from the screaming crowd and had a much better view. Not that Travis's was as interested in the game as he was with his company.

Though, it had been an exciting game. He even found himself cheering between sarcastic quips with Astoria. Travis knew enough about the game to know that it was a close game and that he should be thrilled for Ginny and the rest of the Harpies.

"I caught the highlights," he teased, once Ginny had found them. Though, he and Astoria hadn't been ready to leave their private spot.

[so_astoria]

Astoria had never exactly been the biggest cheerleader where Quidditch was concerned. She'd cheered on her own house over the alternatives, but beyond the school rivalries, there was no particularly team or league she kept up with. But there were few things she wouldn't suffer through for the promise unlimited free drinks. The company that had come with the offer didn't hurt, either.

She remembered the youngest Weasley from their years back at school, at which point she had just been another insufferable Gryffindor prancing about the castle, not worth bothering herself with.

But things changed, and here she was, just on the right side of tipsy and fully prepared to be civil and well-behaved. Ginny had, after all, been considerate enough to allow for her to be here.

She gave the girl a quick once over, smiling casually. "I did keep up enough to realize that you won, at least. Congratulations."

[sweetginevra]

Ginny gave Travis a hug before turning to face Astoria. She was a nice match to Travis physically. Brown hair, nice eyes, and a little tipsy. Ginny gave her a smile. "Thanks! It was a great game. I'm glad you guys could make it."

Ginny gave the room another quick glance around. The team manager, Roland, was a few people away talking to the Daily Prophet sports reporter. With an unlucky twist of lucky Roland caught her eye and motioned her over. Ginny held up a finger to tell him just a sec before turning back to Travis and Astoria.

"I hate to do this but I have to pop over there real quick to talk to the Prophet about the game. Perks of being the captain I guess." She let out a sigh. "This should only take a minute or two. I'll be right back." Ginny then turned and headed over to Roland the the Prophet reporter.

[so_astoria]

Astoria turned back towards Travis as Ginny walked off to take care of her professional duties, skirt twirling around against her legs as she did so.

"Plenty of time left for another drink, then," she smiled at him, half skipping back to the bar on the other side of the box.

[travis_briggs]

"Another drink would be brilliant," he agreed, following Astoria over. Part of him had been nervous for Ginny to come up and finally meet Astoria. Somehow, once they got here, this felt more like a date than anything else. He hadn't meant for it to end up that way, but it was going better than expected - no matter what this actually was.

"Quidditch isn't so bad from up here," he mused, throwing an arm over Astoria's shoulders.

[sweetginevra]

Ginny put on a smile as she came up next to Roland. "Ginny! There you are!" He said before gesturing to the reporter. "This is Jackson. He's here from the Daily Prophet and is covering the game."

Roland beamed over at Jackson with a 100 watt smile. "Jackson, this is Ginny Weasley, our team captain." Ginny turned to Jackson and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you." Jackson returned her hand shake. "Nice to meet you as well Ms. Weasley."

Then they launched into the business at hand. Jackson asked all the typical questions. How did you think the game went? Were you worried about loosing? How was it to captain your first game? They talked for about fifteen minutes before Ginny made her excuses. "It was a pleasure speaking with you but I must be going. I have friends here that I wish to see." She gave them both a big smile before ducking away.

She spotted Travis and Astoria with fresh drinks and made her way over. "Sorry about that. Now please tell me the bar is still open. I would love a drink."

[so_astoria]

By now Astoria was leaning against the bar, feeling all sorts of friendly. Perhaps she had overdone it with the open bar, but hell, at least now no one could pull out the usual accusations of her being cold and intimidating. In her current state, she was anything but.

"I doubt the bar ever closes for the captain," she grinned, waving Ginny over.

[travis_briggs]

It was a completely different side of Astoria. But he had also shown her a different side of himself tonight too. The sarcastic, cynical Travis had taken a back seat. And now that Ginny had rejoined them, the boy was all smiles.

"You need a victory drink!" he agreed, waving the bartender back over towards them. There was a fresh jake and coke for him, maybe his seven or eighth.

[sweetginevra]

Ginny enjoyed their exuberance. She smiled at the bartender and ordered her drink, "A vodka tonic with lime please." She was a little weary of ordering the drink since it was what she had gotten blitzed on the other night when she was out with Travis and had her run in with Harry. But she figured it was safe since she only planned on having one. Being surrounded by team sponsors and the press would help her to keep her one drink limit.

"So how did you guys like watching from up here?" She nudged Travis. "I had to pull a few strings to get you here so you better say you liked it," She warned him with obvious teasing in her voice.

[so_astoria]

"The relative privacy was quite nice," Astoria replied, slyly glancing over at Travis above the rim of her scotch and soda.

Sure, obviously, they'd been here for the Quidditch. But then there had been drinks, and the endearing way his brow wrinkled as he tried to pay attention, and those quips about the opposing teams' chasers', and, well, she willingly took the blame for it, but she had lost track of things for a while until the final game-ending cheers had reigned their attention back to the matter at hand.

[travis_briggs]

Travis couldn't help but catch her glance and smiled down at her.

"You know, Ginz, if you had told me I could watch Quidditch up here - with padded seats and this very nice bartender - I would have started coming to your games ages ago," he teased, turning back to his spunky little ginger friend. Travis nudged her playfully before clinking his drink against hers.

"What happens next? Picture in the paper and a wild after party?"

[sweetginevra]

Ginny laughed. "You should want to come to the games to support me not just for the drinks. Plus this kind of treatment you only get on occasion." She really did have to pull a few strings to get these seats for them. It was easier to do since she was captain but it still wasn't something she could do every time.

She took a sip of her drink. "If by wild party you mean doing a few more interviews before going home to pass out on my couch, then yeah. A wild party is next."

She knew she sounded lame but the matches really took a lot out of her and she tended to fall asleep pretty soon after them. Maybe one day she would be able to party after a game but she hadn't found the trick to it yet.

[so_astoria]

How totally lame...

Astoria held up tongue despite herself, remembering the unspoken promise she had made to play nice. She was, after all, a guest here, and it probably wouldn't be appropriate to insult the captain of the winning team (let alone Travis's friend) in her own box.

...Even if that did sound totally lame.

"Not even the tiniest, most perfectly tame of parties?" she asked instead, her tone and expression the perfect picture of friendliness. "Do at least stick around to get a drink, one I can at least buy for you. As thanks, and all."

[travis_briggs]

Travis was not as polite as Astoria, which was surprising in its self. But that was because Ginny was his best friend and that gave him a free pass. Well, to an extent.

"Ginny. No. Don't be boring," he said firmly, giving her a knowing look. That wasn't what he had in mind for the night at all. He actually wanted to spend some time with her that wasn't standing on the side lines of her interviews.

"We just talked about this. What about Ginny getting her life back? This is the perfect start! Victory party....live it up....you know, all that."

[sweetginevra]

Ginny sighed. They were right. She should at least do a little celebrating. It was an amazing game and she deserved a victory drink.

Plus hearing her own words, all be it drunk words, coming out of Travis's mouth lit a bit of a spark under her butt. He was right to remind her that is was time to spice up her life again. No more hiding in her flat. No more ditching events. It was time to get her social side back. A side she missed when she thought about it but she hadn't let out in quite a while. Well not time like the present, right?

"Right. You're right. I need to stop retreating to the couch." She smacked Travis's arm playfully. "And way to throw my own drunk words back at me you jerk."

She then gave them both a grin. Then knocked back the drink in her hand. "Alright. Let me get the last couple interviews out of the way and then I am all yours to take out to wherever your want."

[so_astoria]

"Now that's more like it," Astoria nodded firmly, knocking back the rest of her own drink as Ginny headed back towards the sea of hungry reporters.

She glanced down at her empty glass, momentarily considering whether or not she should take advantage of one last free refill. On the one hand, free drinks. On the other, they still had a full night ahead of them, and she was already well aware of the flush that had crept up her cheeks throughout the match and the flowing scotches. Better not.

"So," she slid her empty glass aware from her, turning back to Travis, "what's the game plan? If you're supposed to be dragging her back out into the world, we shouldn't disappoint."