Open Always In Third Place

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie had felt good after the victory against Hufflepuff, it hadn't lasted as long as she might've hoped, but for a little moment she felt good again, like everything in this world wasn't so against her, like she wasn't constantly pushing for things and being told no. But the victory was so small in the scale of things, they'd come third for the second year in a row because she was completely unable to win on a first go. what was it about the other teams that she could jsut not win against. And where she'd been keen to do well now so that the head of house might still like her to some degree with third place, and a detention for the yuleball antics, Minnie was hardly winning any favour. She hadn't wanted to face her house or team, the victory was good but she felt so disappointed in herself for not doing more so they weren't in third place. She held the snitch in her hand, having kept it after the match, it fluttered it's wings as it flew around her. Minnie wasn't far from her house, she'd excused herself saying she needed to go to the owlery but she wasn't going to bother her parents with this. She knew they didn't care and would only be disappointed in her for not having done better. She hated that even in this victory which she should celebrate with her team because of the tireless work they'd put in, but Minnie didn't feel up to it at all. ​

 

[Iris van Houten]

Iris had been glad to see Ravenclaw win the match. She had been rooting for them, not only because it was her own house but because of Lars. He seemed so unsure of himself, even now, and Iris wished he could see he was a good captain and player. Quidditch had never really been her thing, it was the one thing all her siblings shared except for her, but she enjoyed watching them play and cheering them on, even if she barely grasped the rules. She had excused herself from the common room to write a letter to her parents about Lars' win, mostly because she knew he wouldn't do it. He'd either be too modest or think it didn't matter, when Iris knew for a fact their parents would want to know these things. But as she walked away from the common room, she spotted Minnie Calida, Lars' co captain. She looked sad, almost as if they had lost instead of won. Iris hesitated, not sure if she should talk to her or not. Lars seemed to like her, and Iris figured it wouldn't hurt to chat for a bit. "Congratulations." She said softly as she approached. "I watched the match, you made a great catch." Iris said, searching the girl's face to see if she could pinpoint what was making her sad.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie was watching the snitch idly, it was distracting enough to really take her mind off everything. She knew that she was maybe being a bit silly but the victory felt just so hollow to her, like it really didn’t matter, it didn’t make her situation at school any better, she hadn’t brough any glory to the house really, it wouldn’t have helped her parents feel better about her, because showing she could win but seemed to never win enough was exactly what they hated. All in all, it left Minnie feel rather despondent. She looked away from the snitch and at the approaching figure. She knew this girl, it was Lars’ sister, the ravenclaw of course. ”Thank you,” she replied politely it was nice to hear but didn’t overall help her mood. ”I think there’s probably going to be a bit of a celebration in the common room,” she said, though knowing it would be weird for her to suggest it when she herself wasn’t intending or moving to go in just yet. But then her mind reminded her that Lars and the gryffindor sister all played quidditch, why didn’t this one.​

 

[Iris van Houten]

Iris noticed Minnie was still holding the snitch from the match, and wondered why. She really did look rather sad, even after winning. "I know." She said, lancing back to the common room. "I was just there. Though it seems to me like they're mostly celebrating, well... you." She said, looking back at the girl with a slight frown. "I don't mean to be nosy, but... can I ask why you're not there?" She asked her, though she wasn't sure if the girl would tell her. "You did well, the whole team did." As far as Iris could tell, anyway.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie shrugged, it was always the way that they celebrated her, when they should celebrate themselves and the work that they put in to help her get the victory. ”I just needed some air,” she wasn’t going to tell this younger girl, Lars’ sister no less that she felt the victory was hollow, it wasn’t right, this girl was probably just excited about the victory and she didn’t want to detract from anyone else and how they felt towards it. ”The whole team did really well..have you ever thought about playing? With both your sisters and your brother playing you must be naturally quite good.” Minnie said, she’d already been disappointed that Ajax intended to leave the team but she got it and that just meant they’d have to fill that slot. ​

 

[Iris van Houten]

Iris nodded when the girl said she just needed some air, deciding not to tell her she hadn't looked like she was returning to the party anytime soon. Iris wondered if she should go back and quietly let Lars know his co-captain was hanging around here, in case she needed a friend. But no, Lars had actually looked happy in the common room, something she hadn't seen of him much lately. Besides, maybe Minnie just wanted to be alone. Iris sometimes had to remind herself she didn't have to meddle and take care of everyone. Minnie's next question took her off guard, but she laughed a bit and shook her head. "Well, believe it or not, I'm not good." She said, shrugging. "At all. Ask Lars if you don't believe me." Iris tucked some hair behind her ear. "Both Lars and me were often dragged outside to play with Emma and Fleur, but while Lars was surprisingly good at the game, I barely managed to stay on my broom." She smiled fondly at the memories. "It's just not what the universe has in store for me, I believe." She said with a slight smile and a shrug.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie nodded as she began explaining that she simply wasn’t good at it. Minnie thought it would be odd, to be the only one of her family to neither be good at or that interested in playing quidditch. She wondered what that would feel like, this girl seemed nice and together, and from her conversations with Lars, he’d never indicated that there was an issue at all. ”So, what do your parents think?” she asked, unable to stop herself, she figured that the parents didn’t mind what their kids did, Lars was nice and carefree, so she had to imagine they were fine with it, felt no great desire for this girl to follow in her siblings footsteps, but Minnie had to ask, she didn’t know what that was like. ​

 

[Iris van Houten]

Iris blinked in surprise at Minnie's words. She tilted her head slightly. "About me not being good at Quidditch?" She asked her, wondering if that was what they were still talking about. "I don't think they were very surprised, I've never been very athletic." Iris admitted. "They were fine with it, if that's what you mean." She then added in a quieter voice. "I don't think they really care either way. Fleur and Emma like Quidditch without any encouragement and I think it was Fleur who talked Lars into joining the team mostly in the hopes he'd make some friends." Iris said, though her sister had never said as much to her, she had been fairly sure that was the case. "Do your parents want you to play?" She asked the girl hesitantly.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie nodded lightly at the question, she had to imagine if everyone else played quidditch perhaps quidditch had been a bit of an expectation of her parents. Minnie thought it would certainly help that Lars was good at it and she was sure that the other two had been as well. But she remembered what Lars had said years before about his mother and didn’t think it could be possible that she would be annoyed by someone not doing something. Minnie was right in her musings. She listened as this girl explained it, that it seemed they didn’t care, that Iris who just wasn’t good at sports just hadn’t needed to even bother. She wondered what it would be like for parents to not particularly care. Minnie gave a little shrug at the question, not sure she was entirely willing to be honest. ”They used to….” she said with a little shrug. ”So if not quidditch what do you like to do?” She asked keen to move the conversation of herself. ​

 

[Iris van Houten]

Iris could tell Minnie didn't want to talk about this too much, as she almost immediately went to ask her a question instead. Iris decided not to push, as she thought the girl still looked rather sad, despite their win and the party going on in the common room. "I like reading, and I have a big interest in Divination." Iris said with a small smile. "So i enjoy things like doing tarot readings or looking into the crystal ball to tell the future." She decided not to disclose that she didn't really enjoy the crystal ball that much, as all she had seen in them so far had been fog. It was more than a little frustrating, and honestly a little embarrassing. It was a subject Iris had wanted to take since she was seven and had first seen a deck of tarot cards, and now she couldn't do it properly.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie nodded as she said what things she did enjoy. Divination, reading. As far as she could remember she wasn’t sure that Lars did that subject, she wondered about what it was like to enjoy a subject so much as to single it out. She didn’t tend to single out one and more just say she liked them all equally, since there really wasn’t an option for her to like one more than others. Liking one more would mean she’d end up dedicating more time to it and that was just wrong. She couldn‘t do that. ”Wow, that’s cool. What interested you about Divination?” she asked quite curious as to how someone would pick up on a subject like that when it wasn’t taught till later school. Perhaps she had always held an interest in it, or that had come later. She knew that this girl was at least old enough to now do the subject but didn’t mean she had only become interested recently. ​