Ravenclaw Quidditch Talk and other such things that preoccupies the mind of a couple of teenagers.

Upon entering, Cole scanned the area for some place to sit. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. It wasn't really that dark. Just darker than the outside. Finding a suitable area, she walked over. "So, what are you going to get?" She asked her companion.

Lainey threw herself onto the seat gratefully, not bothering to glance at a menu.

"Shepard's pie and a pint," she replied immediately, glancing about for the server.

"Anything I can get for you?" a good-looking young man only a few years older than themselves asked, noticing the girls' arrival. Lainey gave her order and turned back to look at Cole, waiting expectantly.

Cole smiled at the young man sweetly. She glanced at the menu and stopped when she saw something she liked. "I think I'll have the house club and pumpkin juice."

"Coming right up," the young wizard said with a wink, prompting a shrug and raised eyebrow from Lainey.

"Who was that for, I wonder?" she asked, looking after him with a slight frown. He was perfectly good-looking, that much was clear, but she didn't really have much of a reaction to him. "Not my type."

"What?" Cole said in disbelief. "He's fit." Her eyes were still on man as he went to get their order, a small shadow of a grin in place.

"So, what is this about a new work-out routine I read you raving about?" Cole said changing the topic. She was actually really interested. Its been ages since she's heard anything relating to Quidditch, she was eager for it.

"I never said he wasn't," Lainey replied with a shrug. "He's all yours. I'm more concerned with quidditch right now...I don't want anyone to get me off my game." She smiled at Cole's eagerness -- that was the kind of attitude that would win them the cup.

"Ten miles a day, plus suicides, jackhammers -- basically full body workout plus cardio, every day, and loads of protein. It takes about three hours," she concluded proudly -- she was in the best shape of her life.

"I don't expect everyone to be able to do that, but we all do need to step things up. I don't want to squeeze a win out of Gryffindor, I want to to win by a mile. We can do this, you know. Especially with a solid co-captain I can trust," Lainey added, smiling at Cole.

"D'ya reckon you're up for the challenge? It's not going to be easy. I figure you're the best shot this team has to continue doing well after I leave, and I want to make sure they pick the right person for the job. Plus it'll give you some idea of what being captain is all about."

"Don't worry, dating couldn't be the furthest thing from my mind right now," Cole reassured her. "I just like to window shop, now and then," She said with a smirk.

The work out Lainey described sounded like Hades, but she completely understood the necessity for it. After what happened last year, she wanted to destroy Gryffindor.

At the end of Lainey's speech, Cole wanted to get up and hug her, but she stopped herself. She hated herself for saying this but she needed to. She wanted Ravenclaw to win more than she wanted a spot on the team. "No. I mean, thank you for the offer, I really don't know what to say... but I think you should hold Try Outs for every position again. It would be foolish if you just kept the same team when there could be someone out there who's fitter and better just waiting for their chance."

Lainey smirked knowingly at Cole. Her modesty had always been a part of what made her such an asset to the team...hard-working, high-performing, and no ego.

"Oh, make no mistake, I intend on it," she replied, and then looked up as the waiter returned with their drinks. Murmuring her thanks, she turned back to Cole. "Barring some prodigy of a first year showing up, we've already seen everyone we're likely to see, and you're the cream of the crop, no doubt about that. I have complete confidence in you," she chuckled, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well, if no first-year prodigies appear, I accept the position, but only if you think it over, once you've got yourself a full team." Cole finished. She wasn't going to argue with the Captain. That would be foolish.

"So, how's your summer been?" She wondered.

"Of course," Lainey replied with a smile, setting her pint down. The follow-up question was harder to deal with, though. Her smile faltered as she thought about the attack on her brother's family, never far from her mind. Innis was slowly recovering, but the progress was not as much as they'd hoped. It wasn't really a subject she wanted to broach at the moment.

"Erm, well, we went to Aruba, which was nice. Other than that we really haven't done a whole lot, I guess," she shrugged. "It's been a quiet summer. What about you?"

Columba suspected that something had happened to her friend and she didn't really want to talk about. She wasn't actually particularly nosy and so she didn't press the manner.

Cole's summer was a lot more quieter than Lainey's and said so.

"So what does your sister do again?" Cole said starting a new topic. Cole herself wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do with her life. She liked to hear about different careers to help her decide on her choice.

Just then, the waiter came back with their food, and Lainey paused for a moment to thank him before digging in with gusto. It took her a moment to recollect that Cole had asked a question -- Lainey really was starving.

"Oh yeah, so you were asking...yeah, Cali's a curse-breaker for Gringott's. Very exciting stuff, she loves it. Mum hates it though, reckons it's not proper, and wants her to settle down." Lainey shrugged, taking anything sip of her pint. "She's seeing someone now though, and he seems nice enough so...maybe she'll get her wish sooner rather than later. I'm just hoping she won't start on me anytime soon!"

"Lainey, you're what? Seventeen? She can't honestly expect you to settle down yet. That's mad." Cole said with a hint of disgust. The mere idea of settling down at their age was insane, incomprehensible. There was just too much to do, too much to learn, too much to see.

"What exactly does a Curse-breaker do?" Cole asked interested. She'd read about them, but it would be interesting to hear what her friend had to say about them.

"Innit, though? She hasn't said anything yet though so I'm still in the clear, for now," Lainey replied with a shrug, taking a break from shovelling down her food.

"Erm, well it's quite complicated, apparently. There's like whole different divisions of it...some people never do "field work" -- that's what they call it when they send people out. Calixta is one of those people...basically they have various research teams and and when they get leads on potential artefacts, they send people out to get them. It can be really dangerous but she's always been lucky. You never know what kind of curses you're up against, although if the research has been done properly, you can get a good clue. A lot of it's sheer good luck though, and having a good team, she says."

Cole couldn't hide a smile when Lainey used the lovely little slang term. "Since when have you picked up 'innit'?"

As Lainey was explaining the intricacies of being a Curse-Breaker, Cole used the opportunity to take a bite of her sandwich. "That sounds really exciting." Cole said her mind spinning with the adventure it must be being a Curse-breaker. She didn't really consider the danger - her imagination was too busy substituting Calixta for a female Indiana Jones wearing a fedora and with a trusty whip at her side.

Lainey shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "Since I've been spending too much time hanging 'round QQS, I suppose! Bad habits...."

Finally starting to get full, or at least not be as ravenous as a pack of wild wolves, she took a long swig of her pint and set it down carefully before shrugging again. "Yeah, I guess it is pretty exciting...she's really lucky she hasn't gotten any serious injuries, though, or worse. it can be scary sometimes. Maybe a little too exciting for me!"

"Too exciting?" Cole repeated with an undertone of disbelief. She smirked and said dramatically. "For our fearless Captain?"

"What can be more fearsome then the Slytherin Beaters who wield their bats like orcs ready for battle?" Cole managed to say this in a straight face though it took all of her will power. "Who's stuns in the air put even the swiftest bird to shame!"

Lainey laughed at all of that -- so dramatic! "That may be true, but I don't have a death wish. A few years back, a good friend of Cali's...well let's just say that one tiny mistake can really cost you. At least in quidditch it's not life and death....usually!"

She finished off her meal and took to nursing her drink as she talked, idly drawing circles on the rough wooden table between them. "So what classes will you be taking to N.E.W.T. level? Have you gotten your O.W.L.s yet?"

Cole was still working on her sandwich, being more engrossed in the conversation than the food. Cole's eyes widened at the mention of Calixta's friend that did not make it. The field really was dangerous. Cole's mother would not approve. She didn't know why she found the career even more appealing.

"I seem to be taking all of them in N.E.W.T. level," Cole said shyly. True to her house colours Cole didn't get a grader lower then an EE. "Ten for ten for the O.W.L.s."

"I was actually thinking about dropping a subject though. So I can focus more on Quidditch, you know?" Cole stated. "I can't choose between Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy."

"Well I suppose it depends on what you want to do. I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures, myself. I prefer the more outdoorsy topics, although Arithmancy is fascinating. Good job on the O.W.L.s, though I expected nothing less," Lainey replied, smiling. The waiter came by again and took her empty plate, but other than a murmur of thanks, she had no attention for him.

"I remember Calixta took Arithmancy, too, and Ancient Runes, Potions...all the requirements for a Curse-Breaker, in short. If that's what you want to do, you have to be on top of your game."

"Thank you," Cole granted the waiter a sincere smile when he took her plate and promptly turn her attention back to her friend.

"Oh, I don't know what I want to do yet." Cole said with a hint of exasperation. "There are just so many choices! I couldn't bare the thought of closing the door on one option. Mum isn't much help either, I think she wants me to have some boring desk job. Dad isn't any better with the 'Do what your heart desires!' speech."

"Desk job, eh? Not bleeding likely...you'd be bored to tears! And so would I, for that matter. I don't properly need the gold so I'm just out for something interesting. If quidditch doesn't work out I think I might be an Auror, actually." Lainey shrugged, finishing the last of her drink. "That's got to be plenty exciting, right?"

"Yeah, but isn't the life-expectancy for that job shorter than that of a Curse-Breaker?" Cole supplied. She took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"Though I think a desk job would kill me faster than anything else will." Cole added. "I should tell my mother that."

"They're about the same, I think, except that you do have options as an Auror. You can be a bodyguard or do clerical work or go out and catch dark wizards. I think being a bodyguard could be a nice balance between exciting and dangerous," Lainey shrugged. "To be honest I hadn't given it much thought. Quidditch is definitely my preference."

"I don't think I can image you as anything else." Cole smiled. It was true, whenever Cole thought of Quidditch, Lainey's name always did seem to tail it. After all, Cole wouldn't be half as good as she was now if not for Lainey and her patience at explaining to a silly second year who didn't know anything about the sport.