The Hunter and the Hunted

[Straw Buckett]

Splat!

“Arrhh!” shrilled the semi soaked ex-Gryffindor. The man’s usual messy blond hair stuck out in sections under a red and gold striped beanie. His height, usually a benefit for reaching the top shelf and changing light bulbs, was now a damming factor causing a large target on his back. Hiding was almost impossible.

The man spun around slowly on his toes in a ready to strike pose, the snow crunched under his feet. With his left hand raised in a mid throwing motion, Straw Buckett carefully held a baseball size ball of ice. Moving his fingers carefully around the perfectly shaped ball, straw’s eyes scanned his surroundings. His eyes darted between rocks, up trees and around frozen bushes searching.

Reminisce of snowball ran down his forehead and drizzled down his very cold cheek and along his chin. Straw held the ball of ice at cheek level, ready to strike at any moments notice. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the area. He didn’t blink, there was no time to blink.

Then.

With a gasp,

Straw spotted a figure crouched behind a rock, facing away from him.

“GOT CHA!” he bellowed and hurled his neatly compressed ball of snow at the figure.

Splat!

[Kelly Evans]

As the first snowball connected with the back of Straw's blonde head, Kelly couldn't help the immature giggle that escaped her lips. She ducked quickly behind one of the large boulders that dotted the park, and she held her breath as Straw's gasp rang out over the mostly empty space. Kelly lifted a black-gloved hand to brush away a few straggling locks of her own blonde hair, most of which had been tucked neatly away in a charcoal grey beanie. Although, she mused, if she'd known this was what their outing to the park was going to turn into, she would have worn something a little... lighter. To blend in with her surroundings. Her red trench coat, thrown over a dark grey sweater dress, was similarly unsuited to camouflage.

Keeping her head low, Kelly started gathering up snow in her hands, rolling it around until she had a fair-sized missile, whispered a quick prayer to Merlin, and stood up. Convinced as she was that there was no way he would have seen her duck behind her hiding place (he was good, but he didn't have eyes in the back of his head, after all!), Kelly was more than dismayed as the snowball crashed smack-bang in the middle of her chest. "Oof", she gasped, her cheeks pink, though she laughed. "If you were aiming for my head, you missed!" she called out, as she let fly her own snowball once more. This time, she flicked her fingers at the snow around her, whispered wingardium leviosa, and watched in delight as her wandless magic took hold, dumping approximately a bucket load over Straw Buckett's red and gold head.

She'd been practicing that particular trick ever since the snow had started to fall.

[Straw Buckett]

In an instant, Straw went from standing to toppled over, half laughing and gasping from the ice trickling down his neck and back.

“Oi no magic!” He called as he began to scrapping together a pile of snow. Being a father to triplets however he should have know to better than to stand out too long in the open.

Before he could move, 3 separate snowballs hit him simultaneously in the chest, back and neck, coupled with three simultaneous giggles and hazars The interesting and brilliant thing, that always amused and surprised Straw, was his children’s ability to sync up and team up on him. There was no love amongst family in a snowball fight.

Taking opportunity of their revealed positions, Straw quickly threw himself behind a mound of snow and hastily began creating snowballs. There wasn’t much thought put into the creation of each ball, war had began and he was under fire. Straw hurled snowball after snowball over the mound wondering to himself why he’d chosen not to use magic, as this would be so much easier.

Straw popped his head over the mood, spotting Kelly's red coat and fired one her way. "Bet you're rethinking your choice of jacket now?!" he laughed, ducking a ball from one of the triplets.

[Queety White]

Meanwhile, desperately trying to avoid any snowballs, Queety had climbed her way up to the top of a tree so she could get a good view of the battlefield below. The benefits was that it would be hard to hit her, hidden between the branches, especially because she opted for a dark brown winter jacket instead of her usual lavender one. The problem was there was no snow this high up. She sighed, wondering if her running away and hiding plan actually was a good idea. But damned if she was going to get soaking wet in this cold.

Watching as Kelly magicked snow in the air, Queety knew all bets were off. She pulled her wand out of her jacket pocket. She was not as adept at wandless magic so this would have to do. She stuck her arm out between the branches so that part was exposed as she summoned on of the snowballs from the pile that the triplets had made. Spaiden was the only one who noticed the snowball zoom toward a tree while the other two were still focused on their full frontal assault on their father.

He quickly ran over to the tree and could see Queety hiding up there. He grabbed a handful of snow and began climbing up the tree. Queety, meanwhile, focused on Straw, taking aim with her one snowball. But just as she was about to throw it, she felt the cold snow slide down her neck and down the back of her jacket. She screamed and fell forward, dropping the snowball in her hand. She tumbled out of the tree and onto the soft snow on the ground.

As she stood up, she looked up to see Spaiden had now taken her spot and he was giggling. She couldn't be too mad at him though. It was a clever ploy. But now she was standing in the middle of the field, a clear target for everyone.

[Kelly Evans]

As the triplets unleashed their full-on, coordinated assault on their father, Kelly gave up all pretence of hiding and stood up, laughing. "What was that, having children means you've always got back up?" she called out. Her attention diverted, Kelly let out an oof as Straw's haphazard snowball still managed to hit her shoulder and explode into a mass of white. Kelly swooped down and scooped up more snow in her hands, this time launching it at Scarlett and Josh, who, as usual, had banded together and were advancing on Straw.

Kelly watched with a grin as Spaiden dashed over to one of the neighbouring trees and peered into the branches. Following his line of sight, she spied Queety, and grinned as Spaiden unseated her, plonking himself in her place. As Queety straightened up, shaking her head but unable to resist the amused smile that Kelly recognised all too well, Kelly thought she'd give Straw an out. "Troops, new target!" she bellowed, her eyes sparkling. Gathering up more snow in one hand, she pointed to Queeety and yelled, "Chaaaaarrrrge!"

Scarlett and Josh took off towards their (as yet unofficial) stepmother, Kelly behind them, and as a unit, they pelted the poor woman with snow. "Queety, I love you, but all's fair in love and snow warfare."

[Straw Buckett]

Amidst the chaos of ice, shrills and laughter, there was a moment Straw would never be able to explain correctly. A moment so ridiculous, so hilarious that he would struggle to keep a straight face whenever he attempted to retell such moment back to anyone. A moment that would forever be etched into his thick head and cause him to fall forward in tears of laughter with ever recall. It was the moment he was mid throw when he heard the tiniest shriek from a near by tree that caught his attention. And in this tree, fell, in almost slow motion, his beautiful girlfriend Queety. It was too random and too hilarious not to laugh.

“How on earth did you manage that?” knowing all too well Queety was known for her clumsiness but she couldn’t possibly be this clumsy right?!

Before Straw would say anymore, the whole tribe had turned on Kelly’s instructions and began the assault on Queety. So Straw did what any good man friend would do and dropped his last snowball and rushed toward the sexy black haired woman. “Did someone order a knight in shining armour?” he announced but before she could reply, he scooped her up over his shoulder, her legs dangling over his front while he head hung towards his buttock and ran her over to a near by mould of snow. Like King Kong, he’d stolen the pretty lady and taken her to an ‘almost’ safer location. There, Straw put her down. His back covered in snow.

“Dam you’re sexy when you’re all wet!” he said without thinking of the phrasing and only referring to her being covered in snow. With a sneaky peck on her lips, Straw turned back to the fight and began the assault attack back on Kelly and the triplets.

[Queety White]

How did this all start? They were walking through the park, enjoying the snow that had covered Hogsmeade, with plans for Butterbeer for the adults and hot chocolate for the kids. And then one stray snowball from one Straw Buckett had lead to this war that was raging on. Queety was nothing but an innocent bystander, stuck in this battle, her clothing and hair now soaked with melting snow. And as her best friend, whom she trusted with her life, and the children she had raised turned their loyalities on her and began pummeling her with snow, she wondered where she went wrong....

The next thing she knew, she was being carried away. "No I do not need my fancy knight...." she muttered. It was embarrassing being carried away like this. She could handle herself. She was a strong independent black woman who didn't need no man! Unfortunately she wasn't going to fight the fact that she was further away from the battle that she originally wanted no part in.

But everything changed after she was betrayed by her loved ones. After she was deposited further away from the battle, Queety watched as everyone continued with the snowball fight, a sly grin on her face, an idea forming in her mind. Spaiden by this point had climbed down from the tree and joined her.

"Aren't you gonna play?" He asked.

"Oh I am. Just trying to figure out my strategy," Queety replied.

She then whispered a plan to Spaiden who giggled and ran off to join his siblings and Kelly to inform them of the plan. He gave her a nod when it was time. Queety got up and began to charge toward the group, aiming directly for Straw. Before he had a chance to react, she spun him around so he was facing away from everyone else, wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips against his. He was a man after all and she knew that she would be able to distract him long enough with a more passionate kiss that he wouldn't hear Spaiden yell "now!" and everyone else aim for Straw's now exposed back.

All is fair in love and war. And if Queety was gonna get involved in this war, she was gonna fight dirty.

[Straw Buckett]

IF only he knew. Like a tragic Shakespearian play, Straw was betrayed by the women who held his affection. Straw was too busy hurling snowballs at his children and Kelly to realise a sub plot being hatched right behind his back.

Straw believed he was winning. Straw believed he was king! Straw believed he had the best teammate…which made her turning him around for a very passionate kiss so super sexy and hot right now. ‘But was this really the time?’ he thought. Well how could he say no really? Queety’s kisses caused semi glitter explosions inside him so sure, give him all the passionate kisses.

And then…

Like the cold icy pits of doom, Straw felt, for the second time today, the world slow down in slow motion. The first inkling of trouble and confusion was Spaiden’s cry. One child he’d neglected to locate in his flurry of snowball throwing, Straw realised his mistake.
Before Straw could open his eyes, he felt the first ball collect him right between the shoulder blades. Next followed with what felt like a million snowballs all at once. They hit him everywhere, one to his left shoulder, one to his lower back, his right thigh, his left thigh, his neck! Everywhere baseball sized balls of compressed ice smacked into him. It was like a scene out of an James Bond Movie and he was the villain being shattered with bullets. The force of each ball was so great he could feel himself beginning to fall.

Straw’s eyes locked with Queety’s and instantly he knew… he knew what she’d done, she was in this too.

“You!” he tried to say but words escaped him as the realisation that she was involved. “Oh no you didn’t!” and before the trickerous maiden could escape, Straw wrapped his arms tight around her waist. “Oh where do you think you’re going?!” and pulled Queety close.

The force of the snowballs were so great, holding onto Queety would not stop him falling forward into the snow. And like the Titanic, Straw sank, taking all that sailed with him (well that he held onto on purpose) down with him into the very cold, cold wet snow. ….
...

'Every night in my dreams… I see you… I feel you…. That is how I know you… go on….'

[Kelly Evans]

Kelly laughed as Straw bolted to Queety's side to 'protect' her from the combined onslaught of herself and the triplets. She could practically see Queety's mind ticking over though, so when Spaiden trotted back over, she knelt down so he could whisper in her ear, in between giggles, the new plan of attack. Kelly winked at Spaiden as he repeated the instructions, though this time in the special short-hand language that the triplets seemed to have manufactured so that only they could understand. Watching Spaiden, her heart soaring at the pleasure and fun she could see on all three children's faces, Kelly grinned as Spaiden this time sounded the charge, and the three took off as fast as their little legs could take them towards Straw.

Helped along once more by her wordless and wandless magic, the triplets pelted their father with snow, cackling madly as they did. Straw got his own revenge on their newest instigator though, as he wrapped his arms around Queety's waist and dragged her with him down into the snow. Unable to help themselves, the triplets jumped on top of the two, shrieking with glee. "You three are on your own now," Kelly said, addressing the triplets. "There's no way Aunty Kelly is getting even closer to the snow than she already is. In fact..." Kelly pulled her wand out of the inside pocket of her coat and made a small movement in the air before her. Where before there was cold, the air around the six of them grew warmer, like a bubble of summer.

"Serves the two of you right," Kelly went on, this time looking at Straw and Queety. "All that canoodling in the snow, you're lucky you didn't freeze in place." As the pair kissed again and the triplets groaned in mock disgust, Kelly laughed. "Straw, admit it: you well and truly lost that battle. You're buying the first round of butterbeer."

[Queety White]

Queety should have thought her plan further out. But she was sure that she had won once the snowballs pelted Straw in the back. She quickly removed herself from the tangle of his grasp and tried to escape, but forgot that she was fighting against someone who was trained to fight foes much bigger and stronger than a little shopkeeper. She was powerless against him as he tackled her into the snow. Any attempts to stay somewhat dry in all this were all gone as they sunk into the snow, Straw on top of her. She regretted everything. She regretted not wearing a hat that day, just some earmuffs that have since fallen off, now that her hair was covered in snow. She regretted not wearing her heavier gloves, she could barely feel her hands anymore. She regretted even being involved in this snowball fight in the first place. She could have just stayed in her tree and stayed safe. Instead, she was now trapped. She had to conceded defeat. 

"Hey! I thought you guys were on my side!" she cried out as the kids also piled on top of Straw, causing the pile to sink further into the snow. Crushed under the combined weight of her family, Queety waved her only free hand, hoping Kelly would rescue her. She was grateful to see her best friend waving a wand and the space around them warming up. At least that made things a lot more tolerable. Their soaked clothes were already drying instantly from the warmth. Now she had to deal with the issue of all the bodies piled on top of her. 

"I love you all, but I can't breathe," she muttered. She then raised an eyebrow, another idea coming to her mind. She knew how to at least get the kids off of them. She lifted her head up as best as she could and gave Straw a kiss, causing the usual round of groans from the triplets. "Ewwww! Gross!" Josh cried out. They quickly got up and away from the couple. 

"So, you're buying the butterbeer?" Queety asked, excited for what they had gone out to Hogsmeade for in the first place. She quickly pushed him off. "Let's go!"