Open Not So Successful First Go

[Lucy Montague]

Lucy was in a bit of a mood. She didn't often get that way, but today she was. The quidditch game hadn't gone the way she'd hoped - Ravenclaw had lost, and lost rather spectacularly by her estimations. She tried to get a goal in twice, but she wasn't a match for the opposing team's keeper. She really hoped she'd get at least one goal in. To cheer herself up, she strolled into the Hogwarts garden. It was around midway through Spring now, and although a few plants had already finished blooming, there were still some that had their flowers out, proudly showing them to passersby. Lucy found the environment refreshing, lifting her spirits somewhat. She took a seat on a bench and sighed, loudly. Lucy was usually such an optimistic person, but today she felt the weight of life on her shoulders. At least classes were going well, she thought to herself.

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy wouldn't say he was mean to Lucy, though he would admit that she had been on the wrong side of one or two of his pranks. It wasn't malicious though and Teddy liked the Ravenclaw who was he mostly saw in History of Magic class. Spotting Lucy looking a bit out of sorts in the gardens, Teddy opted for a friendly approach, aware that she might be feeling down after Ravenclaw's recent loss. "Hey!" he greeted, "Sorry about the game. You doing alright?"

 

[Lucy Montague]

Lucy looked up, surprised but pleased to see Teddy. He was a prankster by nature, but none of his pranks had ever been mean-spirited as far as she could tell - not like another student she didn't care to mention. She still remembered rats tails being thrown at her like it was yesterday. Yuck. She perked up a little upon seeing Teddy, though her spirits were still low. "Hey Teddy," she greeted back, her voice lacking its usual enthusiasm. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. I just thought...I practiced really hard and I thought I'd at least get one goal in." Lucy looked down, trying to swallow down her emotions. She wasn't going to cry, that'd be embarrassing. It was just a game of quidditch anyway. "Those Hufflepuff players are really something, huh?" she then said, trying to sound a bit more chipper.

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy took it as a good sign that he wasn't shooed away and came and sat down beside her, acknowledging the evident emotions rooted in the recent Quidditch match. Despite being an alternate player himself, he empathised with the pressure and understood Lucy's feelings from the other side, for him it was hard watching his team lose from the bench. "It's a challenging game," Teddy affirmed, nodding in solidarity. "But look at it this way. This is your first year on the team, and you're just getting started. You've got plenty of time to grow and show your skill. I wouldn't be surprised if you end up captain someday," he encouraged, a playful smirk appearing on his face. "Although, you might have to fight Audrey for it if she has her eye on that captain spot too."

 

[Lucy Montague]

Lucy gave a small smile at his words. They were comforting, and she knew them to be true, yet she didn't quite believe in them. She felt like she owed her team something - something she didn't deliver. "I think you're right," Lucy said slowly. "But at the same time, it doesn't feel like it, you know?" Lucy didn't know if she was making sense. She looked at her lap and fiddled with her fingers. Lucy then half-laughed at the idea of fighting Audrey for captain. "I don't think I'd win that battle. I don't even know if I'd be a good captain. That sounds like a lot of responsibility." She paused, then spoke quieter, as though nervous someone might overhear. "You know, I kind of just went for quidditch on a whim, and then I got in. I didn't realise how much pressure it'd be. Not that I want to quit - it's actually a lot of fun. But...yeah."

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy wasn't one to dwell on things for too long, and while he wasn't sure of Lucy's exact issue, he did his best to offer some encouragement. He smiled at Lucy's admission at getting on the team at a whim. "You're lucky, Lucy! Or really super talented. I mean, some folks train like crazy and still miss out." Teddy's thoughts drifted to Fraser, who had been devastated after tryouts. "I think you are being too hard on yourself" Teddy said thoughtfully, taking a moment to ponder.

Leaning back a bit, he added, "You know, a good sportsman needs to learn how to deal with losing too. In Quidditch, one team has to come up short, and that's where practice and persistence come in. It's a great opportunity, and you've already said you enjoy it."

 

[Lucy Montague]

"Thanks, Teddy," Lucy said genuinely. "I think I was just lucky. Not so many Ravenclaws try out, I think. It seemed like that at least. But you're probably right. The Hufflepuff chasers were just so in tune with each other and so fast. But there's always next year, right?" Lucy said, her voice tilting towards optimism but not quite there. She then listened to him explain good sportsmanship. It made a lot of sense. "Yeah. I just need to keep going, huh? Keep my head held high and...and just keep trying. Maybe I should try some practice outside of practice hours, even. Hmm." Lucy pondered that for a moment; she was sure if she asked Audrey would help her out, and she could help out Audrey. "You know, you're really good at this. Being reasonable and cheering people up," Lucy said sincerely. She did feel a bit better, no longer feeling like she was fighting back tears.

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy noticed Lucy's mood lifting and she started to sound optimistic again. Given the traits of each house, it didn't surprise him that more Gryffindors wanted to play Quidditch than Ravenclaws. "Yes that's exactly it, just keep working at it. I'll even practice with you if you want." He was a seeker and it was easy to practice alone, but chasers needed a team.

Lucy's compliment made Teddy grin. It gave his ego a little boost, not that it needed boosting. "Alright, don't sound too surprised!" He teased, "What can I say? I have many talents," he quipped, "And I guess I owed you for the pranks." He added with a shrug.

 

[Lucy Montague]

"Really? You'd do that?" Lucy asked, surprised at Teddy's offer. "Even though we're on opposing teams?" she questioned, knowing that one day no doubt the two of them would be squaring it off, although not exactly one-on-one. Lucy knew the other team lineups (she'd been curious, after all) and she knew Teddy wasn't in the chaser position. She smiled as Teddy quipped back, enjoying his laisse faire attitude. He was being less serious, and it was probably something Lucy herself should consider being more like, she thought. "Oh, I wouldn't say that," Lucy said, "I enjoy your pranks, you know, in a way. Not that that's an invitation to do lots more!" she suddenly interjected, worrying by saying that she'd become subject to a parade of pranks. "I wish I had that in me. You make it look fun," Lucy said with a slight shrug, revealing a little bit about herself.

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy hadn't considered that players from opposing teams shouldn't be practicing together until that moment. "Ah, it's a win-win situation," he shrugged. "You get the extra practice, and I get the inside information to report back to my captain," he teased. He wasn't being serious of course. It was just his silly sense of humour.

Sensing a kindred spirit in her, Teddy offered her to join in, "If you ever want to team up for a prank then count me in." It dawned on him who Lucy shared a room with and he wondered if he could convince her to do something to prank Audrey. Probably not yet but he'd work on it. "It's all about balance, and don't get caught." Teddy could think of a hundred things he would rather do than waste his time in detention, and although he enjoyed the fun times, his grades remained important to him.

 

[Lucy Montague]

Lucy chuckled at Teddy's joke. "Yeah, sure you will," she joked back. Not that there'd be much to report back, Lucy thought - except that she wasn't too great yet. Maybe she had potential, but she couldn't help but still feel a bit down. "That sounds like a good plan, then. We'll practice together," she said brightly, though there was still a bit of sadness there.

Lucy tilted her head at Teddy's offer, eyes lighting up a little. "That'd be fun! Oh, I'd be so nervous about getting caught but I'm sure we can think of a good prank and ways to avoid detection. Hmm." She thought about who she'd like to prank, and immediately thought about the students she didn't like so much. But would that be too mean? "How do you usually choose how to prank? Or do you just wait for a good opportunity and go from there?" Lucy asked, curious.

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy noticed Lucy's lingering sadness then the glint of excitement in her eyes when the talk moved to planning a prank. He knew that they were getting somewhere with cheering her up. "Nervousness is part of the fun!" Teddy enthused, trying to ease her worries. "It's both. Most of the time an idea just pops up in my head, and other times, a little more thought goes into it." He thought about upcoming opportunities or events that would be happening and the Yule Ball popped up in his mind.

Leaning in a bit closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially, he said, "The Yule Ball's not too far off. If you've got something in mind, it could be the perfect opportunity," he suggested, "We'll make sure it's all in good fun, nothing too over the top," Teddy's mind toyed with potential ideas, but nothing concrete had come to him yet.

 

[Lucy Montague]

Lucy nodded, listening to Teddy. He really did sound like a seasoned professional at the whole pranking business, whereas Lucy was very much an amateur. But she didn't mind - that almost made it more exciting, she felt like she was learning from one of the best. "Oh, that makes sense," she said. "I guess sometimes it's spur of the moment and sometimes it's planned out." Lucy then listened as he mentioned the Yule Ball. She clapped her hands excitedly. "That sounds like a great idea! I'd almost forgotten about that, with all the exams coming up." It was a good distraction - planning out a prank. Something to look forward to, excitedly and nervously, during the exam season. "Should we prank someone we know, or someone we don't really? There's so many options!" Lucy was getting excited now, forgetting about her previous troubles with quidditch.

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Now Teddy was getting excited about the Yule Ball, it wasn't too far away, they just had to get passed exams first. "Well is there anyone you would you like to prank?" he asked, leaving the decision entirely in her hands. "I'm game for whatever you choose." Teddy was excited to dive into the planning phase but Lucy would get something special out of it if it was her prank.

 

[Lucy Montague]

Lucy did have two people in mind - but she felt like once she said their names there'd be no going back. She also felt a little mean-spirited to get revenge on something that happened over a year ago now. "Well, there's two people maybe," Lucy started slowly. "Do you know Milo, in our year? He pulled a mean prank on me last year. Um, but I wouldn't want to do something too mean to him. Just a little payback, maybe." Lucy still wasn't sure of herself. "Or we could get one of the seniors. I don't mind. Or just do something silly, like put, um, rubber ducks everywhere." It wasn't the most exciting prank idea, but Lucy thought the idea was funny. She still wasn't sure what the prank would be if it was one person - that required thought, but doorways were opening in her mind.

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy's curiosity piqued as Lucy began to drop names. "Milo Frogg?" he confirmed, unaware of any other Milo's in their year. "Yeah he's in my dorm and a mate," Teddy disclosed, not entirely shocked to hear of Milo's involvement in a prank. "What did he do to you?" Teddy inquired, interested in the gossip even if it did happen last year.

"Rubber ducks," Teddy pondered the idea, acknowledging its ingenuity. "How many are you thinking?" he inquired, mulling over both the practicality and cost implications. "We don't want to break the bank on rubber ducks," he added, mindful of budget constraints.

 

[Lucy Montague]

"Yeah, I think that's him." Lucy was a little disappointed to hear that Teddy was friends with him - but maybe Milo had a good side to him. She couldn't imagine it, but she was optimistic to the possibility. "After a potions class, he stole some rat tails from potions supply cupboard and then threw them at me. It was so awful," Lucy said, shuddering at the memory. "They were like worms. I hate worms." Lucy shook her head to try and shake away the bad memory. "And then we kind of had a bit of a fight about it. So not the best first impression," Lucy said.

She hadn't thought about budget restraints - something that just had a single object they had to get might be better. Lucy pondered for a moment, then an idea hit her. "Wait! I think I've got something. What if we had mistletoe and we floated it over unsuspecting couples?" Lucy giggled at the idea. "That could be something, right?"

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Lucy's story was a little funny, but Teddy maintained a neutral expression. After all, the incident she described wasn't that funny. They hadn't had Potions class since their first term at Hogwarts, so it must have occurred quite a while ago, yet it clearly left a lasting impression on her. "That does sound like something he would do," Teddy agreed, nodding. "Well, I can help you get him back sometime if you want."

His mind moved to Lucy's suggestion of mistletoe, and a smile spread across his face. "That's actually a pretty good idea." he said. "See. You're a natural at this!" he added, nudging Lucy's shoulder playfully.

 

[Lucy Montague]

Lucy's eyes lit up at the idea of getting back at Milo. Then the light faded as she felt a little guilty. "I mean, maybe. I'd maybe like to get back at him sometime, but I also wouldn't want it to be too mean, you know?" Lucy didn't want to make enemies. Maybe she could make Milo think she wasn't that much of a killjoy - she had neglected to mention to Teddy that she'd threatened to tell a teacher on Milo but Milo had thrown back in her face that he'd tell others that she was a tattletale. That was the real sore point for her, she didn't want others thinking of her in a negative light. Lucy liked people liking her.

Lucy smiled at Teddy as he complimented her idea. "You really think so?" she asked, feeling a surge of pride. "We just have to find a couple at the dance. And that shouldn't be too hard at all." Lucy nodded to herself, internalising the plan as something real that would happen.