Always getting her way

"But you didn't," Lucian pointed out with a lobsided but charming grin. He wasn't actually trying to annoy her but it had been quite an unexpected win; it ended a lot quicker than any of them had been prepared for. That and he did love winning, they all did. "In your defense, you're not the problem. Your keeper has been letting balls in for weeks."

"I'm aware." She tried to sound unbothered by it, but anyone that knew her would realise that she was in fact quite bothered. Winning mattered to her, she couldn't pretend that it didn't. "We are getting a replacement, been announced just last week. She's pregnant." Emma grimaced, rolling her eyes at how much of an inconvenience it was to her personally. Willa had avoiding the quaffle as to not get hurt, ridiculous.

"Hang on there," she stopped her friend mid-speech. "Deadline or not, your 25th birthday shall not be spoiled, I won't let it," Sabrina promised as she reached out to grab Emma's hand. "Besides, you'll surely figure a way around that? I mean, I was betrothed once, it was annulled and then my parents never brought it up ever again." Though the topic was still a sore once, the witch talked about with the ease and neutrality that was so characteristically hers. "You'll get to double check it, no worries about that, dear."

"We do have a year to prepare for it at least." She huffed in annoyance, not looking forward to the deadline inching closer day by day. "I am doing my best to come up with a plan, but my parents are very persistent. This is the one time being an only child does not do me any favors. I do hope it works out for me the way it did for you."

"It's okay, you learn to live with it", the redhead shrugged her shoulders. It was not a sensitive topic for her, if anything, it had been a relief. Of course, she couldn't tell Emma exactly what happened with her father, that it wasn't some intruder that broke into their home, but rather her own sanity finally giving in. "It does, I suppose... Amycus is head of the family now, so I guess I have to do as he says, but I don't think he would ever force me to marry someone" she admitted. In fact, he was always more focused on scarying anyone away from her. She couldn't blame him, because she did the same with him.

"Well you were always strong." She didn't like whiney or weak girls, didn't see anything in common with them, so she was glad that Alecto wasn't the sensitive sort. "I don't think he would either. It seems to me that he would take what you want into account, more so than the average parent would." Emma did think it a bit odd how close the two of them were, but she kept that to herself. Being an only child she couldn't understand a close sibling bond.

"Come on," He said, voice filled with disbelief. "You can't tell me you actually like all of your fans. The one's who scream abuse when you're losing? The ones who don't give you any privacy? The idiots who get into fights in the stands? I promise Rita Skeeta isn't hiding around the corner, you can tell me what you really think." He nodded along as she spoke, the strategy making sense to him in a way little else did, "See I never got all that into Quiddich, it was Alecto's thing, not mine. I watched it of course, you can't live in Britain and not, but playing never appealed to me. Had anyone explained it to me the way you just did, I would have been a lot more interested." He shrugged "Picked a random team as a kid, loosely followed them ever since. Probably chose wrong, but that's neither here nor there."

"Of course I can. I am very grateful and appreciative of all fans." She parroted as if she was reading of a script. The look in her eyes should tell him the truth, as she did in fact not feel all that happy about her fans at the moment. Particularly a specific persistent one that had decided to make her the object of his affection. There were fans who hurled insults at them after a bad game, which didn't help as she already beat herself up about it. While she loved playing quidditch professionally, fame wasn't always something she enjoyed. "I don't think I can remember a time I didn't love it. I played since I was able to hold myself up on a toy broom. Oh Salazar please don't tell me so you support the Cannons?"

"Good," Marlene said as she nodded her head repeatedly, glad to have finally something to work with that wasn't just following the quidditch player around like a babysitter. "I don't think it's threatening enough to require my services, but since no one has asked either of us for our opinion," the blonde spoke her mind, assessing the situation as she carefully considered the next steps. "I'll handle it. Tell me about this stalker."

"I don't think so either, but the managing staff insisted and there is little I can do to sway them. I'm not scared of one man who has some misguided affection directed at me." She rolled her eyes. "It started with letters about games so he must have been there, but recently he's made some remarks that point to him watching me outside of the pitch. Fans have approached me loads of times, but none of them are him. The wordings specific. I would've noticed. "

"maybe i should look into becoming a team healer. i've heard sometimes those healers put players on the bench for a splinter. it should count as a penalty before they step onto the field," he said even if emma didn't listen. maybe one time, he would've loved to be on the team in some capacity, even accepting a healer position, but he liked where he was at now. "tomorrow. after my shift, after your practice."

"Then you would do the same thing. Appease the behind the scenes people and be overly cautious with my safety and stop me from playing when I'm very well capable to do so. You should stay where you are. More helpful this way." At least it was more convenient to her and that was what mattered. "Sounds good. See you then."

There was immense luck within the fact that she'd learned over the years not to try and befriend everyone. Friendly, she would always remain that. Emma Vanity in turn proved to be a challenge.

"Thank you." She took it as a compliment. Being seen as friendly and or approachable was at the bottom of her list of public perception. Emma wanted to be respected or feared, it was much easier that way. "They are. Some of the matches will be very interesting and some hold no surprise factor at all. I am confident I can predict the winners of those already."

“we all have our demons, yes, but what if that’s all there is to me?”

beck normally would mind if someone talked to him with such direction and irritation, but it was only emma. she was the same person who led the slytherin quidditch team to many victories and he knew how injuries came to her like an option to deal with. "well, congratulations on the win. of course i can fix it," beck said, pretending the question ribbed him. beck didn't need to tell her it would hurt for only a moment, they were both used to this. "one, two-" beck put the shoulder back in place without any magic, but cast a quick spell to dull the pain. "i get off tonight if you want to get a drink to celebrate."

"That is why I came to you. These other healers don't know what they are doing. I don't trust them." Of course that wasn't a secret, she always requested him when she had a medical emergency, although she did not go to see a healer often, believing most injuries were minor inconveniences that she could fix herself. She barely winced when he popped her shoulder back in place, this wasn't the first time it happened and it wouldn't be the last. "Sure. What time?"

Emmeline's brows shot up, the amusement plastered across her face. Perhaps quidditch was proving to be more of a binding agent than one may have been able to tell from the outside. "How kind of you. I promise not to share it with the world. Can't have anyone claim that you give out freebies."

"I don't think anyone would get that idea, but that is probably for the best. I wouldn't want anyone to think me weak. Or to believe I've gone soft." She grimaced, shaking her head at the idea of it. Emma liked to believe she didn't have any weaknesses.

She nodded understandingly. Alecto had been once in her shoes. When she was youngers, she used to wonder how her future husband would be and she always envisioned some sort of Prince charming who would save her from the monster that was her father. The older she got, the lower her standards were, and the more she understood men were overall horrible. Until the main problem was erradicated and now marrying someone for the sake of it didn't suit her.

"My apologies. I wasn't aware." Emma was very focused on two things, quidditch and herself. So while slightly embarrassing for her, it wasn't surprising that it slipped her mind. She rarely talked about the topic of parents with friends, it could be a quite controversial matter, depending on who one spoke to. "Forgive my candor, but doesn't that simplify things for you? Not having that to worry about?" It's not like she wanted her own parents dead, she was fond of them at times, but they could be a nuisance as they did believe they always knew what's best for her.

This was becoming unbearable and it hadn't even properly started. Marlene rolled her eyes at the witch's reply, raising a hand to gesture for her to stop talking. "Let's cut the shit, okay? None of us want this, so let's figure a way out of it," the blonde offered shortly, trying to spare them both from the misery of dealing with unwanted company all day long. "Just tell me why on earth would they assign me to watch your back. Did someone hurt you or threaten you? That way I can do my job elsewhere perhaps."

Emma groaned inwardly, looking up at the sky for a moment, deciding if she should say anything, but in the end her desire to spend less time with McKinnon won. "No one hurt me. I had a stalker- or have a stalker. I'm not quite sure. The managing staff is concerned. I'm not. I can handle myself."

The brunette passed the glass to her friend as the waitress brought them over, a smile settling on her lips as she looked up and saw her in such thoughtful expression. "You have to celebrate, it's your birthday. But why don't you simply do it the next day?" Sabrina offered as she thought better about it herself. "You win the game, celebrate both things. I can organize the party myself, you can trust me with the guest list and all."

"Of course I need and want to be celebrated, I just don't like getting closer to 25. You know the deadline my parents gave me." She took a sip of her drink, clearly annoyed. "You know that I do trust you, although I still want final approval on the guest list. "

Marlene might have been doing her job, but none of her instructions said she couldn't be judgemental while doing her job. Her eyes rolled at the brunette's words, letting out a low chuckle. "Yeah, I'll be tagging along, but don't think it'll be that fun for you." The witch shrugged her shoulders, as though it was the most obvious thing ever. "You're just buying an hour of me talking about how awful I think everything you do is." The blonde took a step closer, patting Emma's arm twice dismissively. "Parade me around if it makes you feel better, though."

"My idea of fun would never include spending any time with you." Her distaste of Marlene wasn't a secret and she wasn't foolish enough to think that it wasn't mutual. At least they had one thing in common then. Emma didn't see the need to have McKinnon tag along after her like an annoying puppy and she didn't like the fact that she had no choice about the matter. She needed her freedom like she needed to breathe. "I don't have to listen to you. I can just put a charm over my head and tune you out."